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Thousands of Armenians gathered on Friday in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), to protest Azerbaijan’s months-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor, Artsakh’s sole land link with Armenia.

Azerbaijan completely blocked humanitarian traffic through the Lachin Corridor on July 11, further exacerbating the worsening humanitarian situation in Artsakh.

The protest, which marked the start of a popular movement in Artsakh, began with a minute's silence for all those who fell defending the country and prayers offered by Fr. Nerses Asryan.

“Today, we are facing a critical situation, but we must realize that we can no longer have another Artsakh, nothing can replace our homeland, just like nothing can replace Syunik, Tavush, Gegharkunik or the whole of Armenia,” he said, addressing the rally.

“We must finally realize that the enemy does not care about our political leanings, party affiliation or religious views, none of this matters at all, they want to wipe us off the face of the earth and seize our homeland,” Fr. Nerses stressed, calling for national unity.