YEREVAN. – Members of the Hayq nationalist movement were protesting in front of the National Assembly (NA) Friday, demanding the restoration of the Declaration of Independence of Armenia.

The participants of this awareness action wanted to attach a banner, which read "Declaration of Independence: 30," to the NA wall.

According to them, this declaration has failed and not been implemented for the past 30 years.

"They are prohibiting us from informing the people that the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Armenia will be marked on August 23," said the leader of the aforesaid movement, Hrayr Kostanyan.

According to him, today the whole political arena of Armenia is silent, as August 23 marks the 30th anniversary of this declaration.

Kostanyan stated that due to their inaction, the Armenian authorities have failed the Declaration of Independence of Armenia for years, but it is time to restore it. "Moreover, let's start a process not only with the declaration of independence, but we also have a demand for repatriation as we will be able to implement it [the declaration] in the case of repatriation," he added.

They were waiting for someone from the NA staff to approach them and inform why their banner could not be attached to the fence of the parliament. But no one from the NA staff approached the protesters, and, subsequently, they marched toward the presidential residence nearby to continue their protest.

At the presidential residence, however, the police special forced had closed the entrance and did not allow the protesters to approach the building.