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 people , '' she said . `` They just want their freedom . They just want to be
-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 . 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 the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10