Armenia standoff continues peacefully

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Demonstrators protesting against a hike in electricity prices are dancing and singing on the Armenian capital's main avenue, maintaining pressure on the government.

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Hundreds of protesters gathered on the road for a
fifth straight day Friday behind a barricade of large trash containers separating them from police. Others were hiding from sweltering heat under roadside trees and umbrellas.

Following Monday's unsuccessful attempt to end the protest by force, authorities have taken a wait-and-see approach and police didn't interfere with the protest. There was no end in sight, however, to the worst unrest the ex-Soviet nation has seen in years as the government rejected the protesters' demand to annul the price hike. The country's power grid is controlled by a Russian electricity giant, and Moscow watched the protest with concern.