Tens of thousands of protestors gathered on Sunday in the heart of Armenia’s capital to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in response to Armenia’s decision to surrender control of several border villages to Azerbaijan. The protests were organized by the Movement for Tavush, and led by Bagrat Archbishop Galstanyan, the Armenian Apostolic Church diocese.

The express opposition to Pashinyan comes after Azerbaijan reclaimed full control of the Karabakh province, which had been ruled by ethnic Armenian forces throughout the 1990s. Azerbaijan retook large portions of the separatist area after a six-week war in 2020. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz that compelled the Armenian authorities in Karabakh to submit to talks facilitated by Russian forces.

Armenia agreed to surrender some territory to Azerbaijan after the two countries came to an agreement in April 2024, over a border section that would pass through four Armenian villages in the Tavush province. According to the Armen Press, over 100,000 people have had to flee the Nagorno-Karabakh region where Azerbaijan has been violating their human rights.

Pashinyan justified the land compromises as a means of achieving peace with Baku. However, this decision set off weeks of protests, during which protesters blocked significant roads to compel him to change his mind.

Archbishop Galstanyan has since nominated himself as a candidate for Prime Minister, stating he intends to “stop the destruction of our homeland”. Hovik Aghazaryan, a senior lawmaker from Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party has labeled his candidacy ‘illegal’ due to Galstanyan’s dual Canadian citizenship.

According to authorities, the movement has currently died out and there is no longer a public call for Pashinyan’s resignation.