2011 Armenian protests

2011 Armenian protests
Part of the impact of the Arab Spring
A protest in Yerevan's Freedom Square on 8 April 2011
Date	19 January – 25 November 2011 (10 months and 6 days)
Location	Yerevan, Armenia
Caused by	political repression corruption unemployment low wages disputed legitimacy of the 2008 presidential election[1][2] street trading ban[3]
Goals	democratic reforms release of political prisoners early general elections resignation of the government investigation into alleged crimes against opposition members[1][4] street trading legalization[3][5]
Methods	demonstrations hunger strikes online activism sit-ins town hall meetings
Resulted in	relaxation of free assembly restrictions[6] relitigation of allegations of crimes against opposition members promised judicial reforms[7] permission for opposition rally in Freedom Square[8] amnesty for political prisoners[9]
Parties
Political opposition Armenian National Congress Heritage Government of Armenia Armenian police
Lead figures
Levon Ter-Petrosyan Nikol Pashinyan Raffi Hovannisian Serzh Sargsyan (President) Tigran Sargsyan (PM)
Number
tens of thousands up to few hundreds
Casualties
Arrested	2+

The 2011 Armenian protests were a series of civil demonstrations aimed at provoking political reforms and concessions from both the government of Armenia and the civic government of Yerevan, its capital and largest city. Protesters demanded President Serzh Sargsyan release political prisoners, prosecute those responsible for the deaths of opposition activists after the 2008 presidential election and institute democratic and socioeconomic reforms, including the right to organise in Freedom Square in downtown Yerevan. They also protested against Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan for banning the opposition from Freedom Square and barring vendors and traders from the city streets. The opposition bloc Armenian National Congress, which has played a major role in organising and leading the demonstrations, had also called for a snap election and the resignation of the government.

The government granted several concessions to the protesters, including agreeing to the opposition's terms for an inquiry into the 2008 protest deaths, granting them a permit to rally in Freedom Square, and releasing several imprisoned opposition activists.