Armenia: Protesters get dirty as BINS block Yerevan's Baghramyan Avenue

Protesters in Yerevan began blocking roads with wheelie bins, Wednesday, as protests against a price hike in utility bills continued to grip the city. With nearly 240 protesters detained since the beginning of the week, Liberty Square continues to be a rallying point for those opposed to the rise in electricity prices. Many protesters staged a sit-in protest throughout Tuesday night at Liberty Square, as a police cordon and vehicles blocked the way to the presidential palace. The unrest follows the nation's parliament agreeing to raise the cost of electricity by at least 16 percent in the country. Thousands responded to the decision by marching on the country's presidential palace on Monday, June 22, with clashes erupting and police using water cannon to disperse the crowds. In a bid to ease tensions, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has proposed to meet a small group of protesters but activists have rejected the offer. The move by the Regulatory Commission to increase the price of electricity means costs have now increased for the third time in as many years.