Fears before the storm?: Why is Pashinyan following Samvel Karapetyan's rally?

Representatives of the law enforcement agencies were closely monitoring the rally of Samvel Karapetyan's supporters today not only through the use of high-powered and controlled cameras installed in the Opera building, but also, as they say, on the ground, concentrating significant operational capabilities. As of 5:30 p.m., the entire area around the Opera House was occupied by private cars with service and operational license plates of the police forces, as can be seen in the video.

Karapetyan, who was arrested after a brief statement in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is not a political figure and is only just beginning to organize his supporters and movement. But the government’s uneasy response is evidence of growing fears within the government.

Although the rally was not large, it was full of emotional tension: people gathered who were outraged by what they perceived as the government's rampant attack on the Church, an institution that remains a pillar of national identity for many.

This excessive control over a peaceful assembly indicates growing concerns within the government about a new and potentially explosive movement that could quickly spiral out of control. Karapetyan’s case could become not just a story of one man’s resistance, but the beginning of a mass movement based on conscience and cultural identity.