Armenia-Tavush-for-the-Homeland-Protest-May30

The protest movement leader Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan talks to the protesters on a megaphone during the rally demanding the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation over land transfer to neighboring Azerbaijan, outside the government building in central Yerevan on May 30, 2024. The Tavush for the Homeland movement, led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, gained momentum following the announcement on April 19 that Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to initiate border delimitation in Tavush Province. Over a span of approximately two weeks, residents of Kirants and neighboring villages staged road blockades to hinder the process. The movement received backing from influential religious figures and various opposition groups. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the government's decision to delineate the entire border, including areas within Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory that have been under Armenian control since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Pashinyan stressed the imperative of preventing a conflict, warning of potential aggression from Azerbaijan if the disputed villages were not relinquished. On May 24, as part of an agreement between Yerevan and Baku, Azerbaijan's border service assumed control over four villages in the Gazakh district along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Armenia pledged in April to return these uninhabited villages to Azerbaijan, marking a significant step toward a potential peace agreement between the two countries, which have been in conflict for over three decades. (Photo by Anthony Pizzoferrato / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by ANTHONY PIZZOFERRATO/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)