Demonstrators blocked off one of the central streets in Stepanakert, the capital of the Azerbaijani separatist republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, on June 4 as protests entered their third day. 

The protests were sparked by a fight between officials from the National Security Service and two citizens on June 1. According to reports in the Armenian media around 15 security service officials beat the two people up over a personal disagreement, and the victims were later arrested by police.

The authorities in the majority-Armenian breakaway republic have tried to calm the situation, as many residents were outraged by reports of the incident. President Bako Sahakyan met with a group of protesters on June 3, but the activists said they were not satisfied with the discussions with Sahakyan and resumed their protest the following day, local outlet ArtsakhPress reported. 

''At the meeting the question of making changes in power structures was raised. However, it was not completely accepted by the president,” a member of the group behind the protests, Davit Simonyan, said as reported by the news agency. 

Sahakyan has pledged to ensure the events that led to the fight are investigated and that those who are guilty will be punished. 

Meanwhile, the authorities in Yerevan have also weighed in on the protests, which follow mass protests in the Armenian capital that toppled the government of former prime minister Serzh Sargsyan last month. 

The country’s new Prime Minister (and former protest leader) Nikol Pashninian called for an end to the protests in Stepanakert, though added that there was "no doubts that the behaviour of the representatives of the power structures is concerning,” News.am reported quoting a Facebook broadcast by Pashninian. 

However, he added that it was time for the demonstrators to give Sahakyan time to implement the promises he had made “in a calm, non-nervous environment”.