On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, Armenian political parties plan to hold a demonstration in downtown Yerevan. Organisers have indicated that the event will take place outside the Opera House in Freedom Square, beginning at 1800.
According to media reports, participants in the demonstration intend to march along the following route: along Mashtots Avenue to Grigor Lusavorich Street to the Myasnikyan Statue. If this march takes place, traffic in these areas will be very congested.
Nearby streets, including Sayat-Nova Avenue, Tumanyan Street and Baghramyan Avenue, will likely also be affected and congested. Additionally, Beirut and Italy Streets are expected to be highly congested.
Police will have a substantial presence to monitor the event.
All U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Armenia are reminded that even peaceful gatherings can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence without warning. It is recommended to stay current with media coverage of local events, be aware of your surroundings and exercise particular caution when near crowds. Avoid large gatherings and public demonstrations.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Armenia enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at http://travel.state.gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the U.S. Embassy.
Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Armenia. For additional information, refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. embassy for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan is located at 1 American Avenue, tel. 10-46-47-00 and fax 10-46-47-42. The Consular Section is open from 9:00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m., with time reserved for U. S. citizen services from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for official U.S. Embassy holidays. For more information, see the Embassy’s website. For after-hour U.S. citizen emergencies please call (374-10) 49-44-44.