Leader of “My Step” initiative MP Nikol Pashinyan urged to continue civil disobedience as thousands gathered for a rally at Republic Square on Tuesday evening.

Addressing a huge crowd, Pashinyan called to surround government buildings, to close down streets and highways starting from 10am Wednesday morning.

After being closed off for several days, Baghramyan Avenue was reopened on Wednesday. Later on the demonstrators gathered near presidential residence where newly elected PM Serzh Sargsyan will work. In his address to Sargsyan, Pashinyan warned that from now on the new PM “will have to look outside through police shields and barbed wire”.

The protesters led by Pashinyan continued their march in downtown Yerevan. They held a sit-in near the City Hall and blocked the building of the Armenian Foreign Ministry. Police said 84 people were detained and 30 out of them released as of Wednesday afternoon.

A serviceman of Artsakh army Ruslan Manukyan (born in 1998) was fatally wounded on Tuesday.

Manukyan died at the protection area of a Defense Army unit, and as a result of a landmine explosion.

The United States and Russia have reacted to the protests taking place in Yerevan and other cities in Armenia.

“We are monitoring closely ongoing protests in downtown Yerevan and other cities in Armenia,” State Department said in a statement. “We are encouraged by the responsible and respectful behavior of the vast majority of protestors and police throughout the last several days”. State Department urged both government authorities and the protesters to exercise restraint and avoid any escalatory or violent actions.

Spokesperson for Kremlin Dmitry Peskov said they are monitoring the developments in Armenia, “and above all we hope that things will unfold within the framework of law.”  He also added that Vladimir Putin sent a telegram of congratulations to Serzh Sargsyan as Armenian PM, and later they had a phone call.

Dutch State Secretary Menno Snel of Finance will attend the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan.

This is the first time a member of the Dutch government will be present at the commemoration after the Dutch parliament passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

From now on, a Dutch Minister or State Secretary will attend the commemoration every five years.

President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday signed an executive order.

Accordingly, ex-Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan has been appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia.

And with two other presidential decrees, Vache Gabrielyan and Armen Gevorgyan have been appointed Deputy Prime Ministers.