the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days . As of early Sunday morning , Freedom Square was empty , Ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia '' `` What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' Ghazarian said . `` After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . There are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` We 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning 's action by Armenian riot police was bloody , but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` These are innocent
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said . Opposition supporters wave an Armenian flag during a protest rally in Yerevan , Armenia , on Saturday . The protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . The state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , Yerevan , said Salpi Ghazarian , assistant to the Armenian foreign minister , who spoke to CNN early Sunday . The state of emergency could last until March 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a U.S. Embassy official . Ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition '' The embassy official estimated that