Number of People Present in the Mother See Courtyard as of 17:40

The Citizen's Initiative reports that on December 18, two opposing gatherings took place in the Mother See area. The first gathering was comprised of supporters of Catholicos Karekin II, who arrived at the venue following calls from various opposition political forces since 15:30. The second gathering consisted of citizens who demanded the Catholicos's resignation, following the call of ten bishops.

The two gatherings were separated by a police barrier. The Citizen's Initiative conducted aerial photography to account for the number of participants. As a result, it was established that as of 17:40, there were 2,200 people present in the courtyard of the Mother See, in the section of Catholicos supporters, while about 1,020 people were present in the section demanding resignation.

The count did not include police officers standing in formation or individuals present in the church and other buildings. The assessment was conducted through individual participant accounting.