YEREVAN. – Marshal Baghramyan Avenue in the capital Yerevan is closed on Saturday morning, too. It is already the second day that the opposition has pitched tents there and is holding round-the-clock demonstrations demanding the resignation of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The night passed peacefully on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue. At the moment, the protesters are building a stage for the rally scheduled for today at 3pm there.

The political situation in Armenia sharply escalated when PM Nikol Pashinyan, not tolerating Tiran Khachatryan's disagreement with his statement questioning the effectiveness of the Russian-made Iskander ballistic missile system, on Wednesday evening removed him from the post of First Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces. This move made the patience of the army command staff run out. The General Staff on Thursday morning issued a statement demanding the resignation of Pashinyan and his government, emphasizing that the PM had made the aforesaid decision without taking into account the national and state interests of Armenia, and based solely on personal and ambitious feelings. According to the General Staff, the premier and his government are no longer able to make good decisions.

Pashinyan, however, considered this statement an "attempt at a military coup," and called on his supporters to gather at Republic Square in downtown Yerevan.

After their rally Thursday at Liberty Square in downtown Yerevan, the opposition demanding Pashinyan’s resignation marched to Marshal Baghramyan Avenue, continued their respective protest in front of the National Assembly, after which they announced that they would pitch tents and stay at Marshal Baghramyan Avenue.