State of emergency for Armenia

YEREVAN, ARMENIA — Armenia's president imposed a state of emergency Saturday after police used tear gas and fired shots into the air to disperse demonstrators protesting alleged fraud in last month's presidential election.

The announcement from the office of outgoing President Robert Kocharyan came shortly after police broke up the rally of about 15,000 demonstrators. Earlier, police used batons to eject hundreds of protesters who had been camped for more than a week in tents in a square near the city mayor's office.

Tensions remained high into the night. Groups of angry youths were prowling the streets, calling for others to join them, residents said. Police officials said some of the force's cars had been set on fire and that some stores had been looted.

"What's going on now is not a political process. It has gone over the edge," Kocharyan said in a late-night news conference. "I appeal to the people of Armenia to show restraint and understanding."

Kocharyan's office said the state of emergency would remain in effect for 20 days. The measure imposes severe restrictions, including a ban on all mass gatherings and a requirement that news media reports on domestic political matters be based only on official information.

Witnesses said they had seen people injured in the later rally, but there was no immediate official information on casualties. Kocharyan said eight police officers were injured. The Health Ministry said 10 people were hospitalized from the earlier clash.

The opposition has protested the results of the Feb. 19 presidential election and tried to force a new vote. Rallies each day have drawn tens of thousands of people; a few hundred remained at the square each night in tents.

Officials say Serzh Sargsyan, the current prime minister, won the vote. But supporters of opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian have alleged fraud.

Sargsyan is a close colleague of Kocharyan, who is stepping down because the constitution forbids a third term. Opponents allege that the government manipulated the vote count, pressured people to vote for Sargsyan and coerced the media into skewing coverage in his favor.