On 29 April, a physical street clash occurred between Armenia's Vice-speaker of the Parliament Alen Simonyan and the leader of the far right party “Adekvad” Artur Danielyan, reported Asbarez. 

The incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. on Arami Street at Mashdots Park, when, according to a post on Adekvad’s Facebook page, Danielyan was walking with a few friends in the park and allegedly was approached by Simonyan who physically attacked Danielyan, who sustained injuries to his nose. 

By the evening Danielyan and two others were arrested in connection with the incident, with Danielyan being taken into police custody before getting medical attention for his injuries, a police spokesperson, Edgar Janoyan, told Armenpress. As a member of parliament, Simonyan has immunity from prosecution. Janoyan also said that an investigation was underway into the incident but did not identify the other two who were arrested alongside Danielyan.

Speaking to Azatutyun.am’s Armenian Service, Simonyan claimed that he was walking through the park when Danielyan and his friends began hurling what he described as homophobic slurs and that he head-butted Danielyan after the latter swore badly at him. The vice-speaker defended his actions, saying that they amounted to self-defense and that he had sustained injuries to his face. Simonyan said that as a state official he should have refrained from attacking but that he could not let the insult go unanswered. He thanked the many people who expressed their support and said he would comply with law enforcement agencies however they see fit. In a Facebook post, independent parliament member Arman Babajanyan said that Simonyan was attacked and the two reported the incident to the police.

Adekvad member Konstantin Ter-Nakalyan told Panorama.am that Simonyan attacked Danielyan. He also posted a Danielyan picture showing significant injury to his nose. The Adekvad members claimed that it was a provocation on behalf of the authorities since Simonyan was the first to attack. “We condemn the fact that the deputy chairman of [parliament] has been behaving like a hooligan these past two days. We also don’t regret that he got what he deserved,” the Adekvad statement read. The party, as well as the Armenian human rights activist Ruben Malikyan demanded from the Armenian authorities to immediately and completely release the video footage of the fight, as it was recorded with security cameras belonging to a private organization and seized by law-enforcement authorities.

Danielyan’s lawyer Tigran Atanesyan said that Danielyan filed a complaint against Simonyan.  “We hope a criminal case will be filed, objective investigation will be carried out and the Prosecutor General will demand depriving Alen Simonyan from his deputy immunity for him to be subjected to criminal responsibility,” he said. Simonyan also wrote on Facebook that the Armenian authorities would use the incident to exert revenge on Danielyan. “A criminal case will be filed for causing heavy injuries. The criminal case will be examined by the Special Investigation Service. As far as this article envisages custody from 3-7 years, they will try to arrest Arthur. In my opinion it is a completely criminal scenario in today’s Armenia. I demand… the authorities… implement [an] objective and transparent examination and as a guarantee publish the footage of the incident, which, according to the information I have, has already been taken by the police,” he wrote.

Both Simonyan and Danielyan are known in Armenia as controversial political figures. A day prior to the incident, Simonyan was roundly criticised for making sexist remarks about an opposition Bright Armenia parliamentarian Ani Samsonyan after the discussions on the state budget allocations. “I want to ask you to stop talking about me, I’m a married man. I’m under the impression that you want to talk maniacally. It’s not a good look on you,” he said in a response to Samsonyan’s statement that the ruling party was being out of touch and not realising that people were going hungry and struggling to pay their utility bills. He also accused the Bright Armenia leader Edmon Marukyan to be “hiding under her [Samsonyan’s] skirt” and not supporting the Velvet Revolution.

On 14 April, Simonyan accused the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II of trying to exert pressure on Armenian courts, following Garegin’s statement to release Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan from custody due to the coronavirus situation in Armenia. “For decades he did not intervene in the imprisonment of various people,” Simonyan said, referring to political opponents of Armenia’s former governments. He went even further, saying that thousands of citizens consider it necessary to change the Catholicos (Caucasus Watch reported).

In 2019, Simonyan proposed changing Armenia’s National Anthem with the one used during the Soviet era. When individuals, many of whom from the Diaspora, voiced their opposition to his proposal, Simonyan blasted them by saying Armenians who do not speak Armenian should not express their opinion.

As for Danielyan, on 5 September 2019 he converged “Adekvad” from a political movement into a political party, stating that the purpose of the party would not be to participate in the national elections, but to lead a real revolution (Caucasus Watch reported). Danielyan is a former member of Civil Contract who left Pashinian’s party before the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.”  

Before becoming a political party, the Adekvad began as a Facebook page in June 2018 and quickly became popular, with more than 27,000 followers, and known for its nationalist, anti-Western and right-wing stances. It has called the on fact that many of Armenia’s young elite have been educated or trained in the United States “the second stage of the genocide.” Other favorite targets include Armenia’s LGBT minority, financier and philanthropist George Soros, and especially Pashinyan, who according to Adekvad opened the doors for such influences in the country. The movement began to expand their activities from social media to the streets launching a campaign to get supporters to spray-paint “#SutNikol” – “#LiarNikol” – around Armenia, and organized a contest, “Who can present the prime minister's biggest lie through art!?”