Tensions have sharply escalated in front of the Gyumri City Hall, where a large police presence has been deployed. A scuffle broke out between the police and citizens who had gathered in support of Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan. Officers began detaining demonstrators using physical force.

Due to the clashes, journalists are unable to perform their professional duties and cover the unfolding events.

Deputy Chiefs of Police Kamo Vardanyan and Karen Hakobyan, as well as Patrol Service Chief Artur Khudinyan, are currently in Gyumri.

Earlier, NEWS.am reported that law enforcement officers entered Gyumri City Hall early in the morning. Masked special forces blocked the entrances and exits of the building. A large crowd of citizens gathered outside, where police units continue to increase in number. The situation remains tense, and at one point a physical altercation occurred between police officers and the gathered citizens.

Tensions are also high inside the building. Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan was isolated, with armed officers standing guard at the door. City Hall employees attempted to enter the building to prevent the mayor’s arrest. Moments earlier, Ghukasyan came out of his office, urging everyone to remain calm, saying that “everything will proceed according to the law, and then we’ll see what happens.”

A police convoy has reportedly been dispatched from Yerevan to Gyumri.

Later, the Anti-Corruption Committee issued a statement announcing that eight City Hall employees, including Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, had been arrested on charges of accepting and giving bribes.

Among those detained is also the city’s chief architect, Henrik Gasparyan. The Committee’s statement included an audio recording of a conversation allegedly held between the mayor and the chief architect.