I recently photographed the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan on 35mm film. I shared a few of the digital images here and despite that post ending up as a complete dud, I decided to share the photographs I took of the opposition that held a march through the city yesterday before arriving at a large stage to have a demonstration over their political agenda. While I hate politics in general, such events tend to be the most fun to photograph. Where there's a lot of emotion in the space, a density of people and plenty of narrative to capture. It's where my photojournalist interest starts to kick in. I weave in and out of the people with such motion, searching for composition and unique images to capture. Not always focusing on the leaders themselves, but the people behind.
I didn't actually know there was going to a march through the city, I just happened to have been in the area and stumbled into a large crowd of people carrying flags and instantly knowing that this was politically motivated. I decided to stand around and observe, checking the space to see what exactly it was pertaining to. Eventually, the large crowd started to move through the streets, and so I followed. I snapped a few images here and there but nothing too special at that point, still just trying to gauge the general atmosphere within this space and ensure I wasn't getting too caught up in something I probably shouldn't. After all, I don't know anything about the parties here.
I followed the crowd while trying to get slightly ahead to capture more photographs from in front rather than from the side, and that became a bit of a challenge as the large crowd walked through the more dense parts of Yerevan. As chanting began and media started to also have the same idea for more optimal video and photography. I tried to not get too close to people in this moment as it seemed more like a protest than a regular rally. But the more I interacted within the space, the more I noticed that people just didn't care. That's where I started to relax a little more. I wish I had 35mm film for this moment, but I had just before ran out of my last roll and was even on my way to go and get it developed when I noticed the crowd. As the crowd would chant, it still had a peaceful atmosphere to it, it was clear there wasn't aggression in it, but more just patriotism. Mostly evident from frail old women following in with the chant, exhaling the entirety of their little lungs to join in, laughing immediately after.
This rally was quite an interesting one to see. A mostly older demographic arrived in support. A few younger people here and there. But the impression I had from this demographic (and from the flags) was that many of these people were displaced, Older, from more rural areas that had been given up and handed over to Azerbaijan. And this party was heavily against that decision. Where Pashinyan's known for essentially being a traitor to the land for easily handing over land demanded from an enemy. And as a result, many of these people were forced to leave their homes. Their land. And start anew in and around Yerevan. Many waved the flag of Artsakh, the region lost. I suppose some of the older population arriving in support came due to being a bit more angry with how things were handled, more patriotic to the nation compared to the youth that wanted the European ticket.
It was an interesting experience, though the sun really decided to come out at the worst time, just as the rally started, in the most open part of the city. That intense sun didn't have me sticking around for too long. I soon left after taking these images.
