Law enforcement officers detain participants of an opposition protest in Yerevan. File photoYEREVAN, May 25. Several clashes between special forces and protesters took place near the building of the National Security Council of Armenia in Yerevan, RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the scene. The clashes began with police special forces soldiers in shields and helmets, who blocked the entrances to the Council building, after which the «black berets» — special forces — joined. There were several short clashes, without serious fights, after which the security forces surrounded the protesters. But they did not go on the offensive, and later some of them, who had previously blocked the protesters from the approaches to the council building, left in police cars. Since April 25, the opposition has been holding protests throughout Armenia demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Their participants are convinced that the policy of the authorities threatens the country with the loss of statehood and threatens the existence of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
