CHAIRS FLY, PUNCHES LAND! Armenia’s Parliament Erupts Into Massive Brawl During Heated Debate

A massive brawl has erupted inside Armenia's parliament, with lawmakers punching, kicking, throwing chairs, and dragging each other across the chamber in a shocking live televised confrontation. The violence broke out on October 29th during a parliamentary session in Yerevan involving lawmakers from ruling party MP Teren Chakoyan's ruling Civil Contract Party and the opposition's Strong Armenia faction. The confrontation began during a debate over the appointment of a member to Armenia's audit chamber, the body responsible for overseeing public spending and government financial accountability. Tensions escalated after ruling party MP Teren Chakoyan accused opposition figures of corruption and made personal remarks about strong Armenia leader Narek Karapetyan and his family. Chakoyan also brought up a controversial pre-election comment by Karapetyan's cousin about creating a so-called ministry to satisfy women, questioning why the family had not apologized for the remark. Karapetian responded angrily, approached the podium, and a verbal exchange quickly turned physical. Within moments, dozens of lawmakers were involved in a chaotic fight. MPs grabbed, shoved, punched, and kicked one another, while several were knocked to the floor. Some lawmakers were seen with torn clothes and visible injuries. The violence became even more chaotic when Deputy Speaker Vahag Alexandyan threw a chair towards opposition lawmakers. Chekoyan was also seen splashing a glass of water on opposition MP Garnik Daftyan. Bottles were reportedly thrown, and furniture was overturned as the confrontation spread beyond the parliamentary chamber into the corridors. What made the incident even more extraordinary was that Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan initially allowed the live broadcast to continue, saying he wanted the public to see what was happening. The session was eventually suspended, and parliamentary security formed a human chain to separate the rival lawmakers. Several opposition MPs suffered injuries. Strong Armenia lawmaker Andranik Gevorgian was seen with a bleeding nose while Ruben Mkertarian's clothes were torn. An ambulance was also called to the parliament building. Following the incident, Rubinyan blamed opposition leader Karapetyan, accusing him of losing control and attempting to attack Chekoyan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also condemned violence in principle, but placed responsibility on the opposition. He went further, describing the actions of ruling party lawmakers as proportionate and justified, even defending the chair-throwing incident. The opposition, meanwhile, faced off against the ruling party amid growing tensions following Armenia's June elections. The incident has exposed the deep political divisions gripping Armenia, turning its parliament into the scene of an extraordinary physical confrontation. And as footage of lawmakers fighting inside the country's highest legislative institutions spreads, questions are being raised about the state of political debate and democratic institutions in Armenia. Subscribe to One India and never miss an update. Download the OneIndia app now.