A mass brawl broke out Thursday in Armenia's parliament during a confrontation between members of the ruling "Civil Contract" party and the opposition "Strong Armenia" bloc.
The exchange between the two sides escalated rapidly, turning into a physical clash in which lawmakers used fists and kicks. The entire incident was broadcast live.
The confrontation began during a session of the National Assembly on 29 October, following a verbal exchange between representatives of the two political camps. Within a short time, the argument deteriorated into shoving and a mass brawl that continued even after the clash moved from the plenum hall into the parliament corridors.
According to reports in the Armenian media, curses were also heard at the scene, and security personnel together with several members of parliament struggled to separate those fighting. For an extended period, those present were unable to bring the confrontation to an end.
The speaker of parliament, Ruben Rubinyan, addressed the live broadcast of the events and made clear that he did not intend to stop it, so that the public could see for itself what was happening inside the legislature.
After the brawl, an ambulance was called to the parliament building. According to reports, MP Andranik Ghevorgyan, who belongs to the opposition "Strong Armenia" bloc, was injured and bleeding from his nose. In addition, MP Ruben Mekhitarian's clothes was torn during the confrontation.
The unusual incident took place against the backdrop of the political struggle between the ruling party and opposition forces, and quickly turned into a public confrontation documented in a live broadcast before viewers' eyes.
