A demonstrator waves an Armenian flag as others shout slogans during a protest against an increase of electricity prices in Yerevan on June 25, 2015. (Agence France-Presse Photo)
Hundreds of Armenian protesters remained camped out near the presidential palace early today after the government refused to heed their week-long calls against hikes in electricity prices.
The die-hards blocked traffic at the capital's main thoroughfare, an AFP correspondent said, after some 12,000 people turned out in the pouring rain late on Thursday in the biggest anti-government rally in years.
Public anger has mounted over a move to hike power prices by over 16 per cent from August 1 in the impoverished Caucasus country of 3.2 million.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan told cabinet meeting that his government would proceed with raising power tariffs despite anger in the landlocked country already hard hit by the economic crisis in Russia.
He said the planned hike is aimed at avoiding "cyclic power cutoffs which will lead to irreparable consequences for the country's economy."
Abrahamyan's remarks stirred fresh anger among protesters who vowed to keep pressuring the government until their demands were met.
The protests started a week ago on June 19 and gained momentum after hundreds of riot police moved in early Tuesday to break up a rally using water cannon and rubber batons.
Washington, Brussels and the OSCE all expressed concerns over the violence.
Armenia's power distribution company has said the price hike was needed due to a sharp evaluation of the national currency, the dram.