On Saturday, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian and a group of supporters initiated a march from a border village in Tavush province, the focal point of two weeks of protests against the Armenian government’s territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.
Leading the demonstration, Archbishop Galstanian is driving the protest to Yerevan’s streets with the aim to halt the transfer of border areas near the village of Kirants and other nearby communities in Tavush. Local opposition to the handover is strong, with residents voicing serious security concerns.
“We have decided to march to Yerevan… to demand a halt to this process here and in other places,” stated Galstanian in Kirants at the beginning of the 160-kilometer trek to the capital.
This announcement came in the wake of a police crackdown on protesters in Kirants who attempted to obstruct the clearance of landmines and other preparations for the territory’s transfer to Azerbaijan. Following the intervention, a significant police force remains deployed in and around the village.
Galstanian, who leads the Tavush diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, indicated that the protesters expect to arrive in Yerevan by May 9, though specifics of their planned activities in the capital were not disclosed. His announcement has received backing from opposition politicians and public figures in Yerevan, who have vowed to support the march.
The protesters, including at least two opposition parliament members, spent their initial night at the ancient Haghartsin Monastery in Tavush, continuing their march after a Sunday mass.
“This march is about honor and homeland,” Galstanian addressed over 100 attendees post-mass, calling on Armenia’s leadership to act ethically and avoid sins.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s supporters have harshly criticized Galstanian, who has been a vocal opponent of Pashinyan’s approach to the Azerbaijan conflict. In a recent parliamentary session, pro-government legislators accused Galstanian of espionage and inciting conflict, and some suggested he should be drafted by the border guards.
Opposition figures have decried these attacks as part of a smear campaign by Pashinyan. The Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Echmiadzin has also supported Galstanian and criticized the land handover plans.
Pashinyan defends the territorial concessions as a necessary measure to prevent Azerbaijani military threats, while the opposition contends that these actions only encourage Azerbaijan to press for more land forcibly.
