The World - News from May 8, 1989

More than 70,000 Armenians marched peacefully through the center of Yerevan, the capital of the Soviet republic, demanding the release of detained nationalist activists, a Soviet journalist said. A reporter for the Novosti news agency said between 70,000 and 100,000 marchers filed past Communist Party and government headquarters. He said he knew of no arrests following the demonstration, which was staged without official permission. It was the third demonstration in as many weeks calling for the release of 14 members of the banned Karabakh Committee, which has spearheaded a campaign demanding that administration of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh be transferred from the republic of Azerbaijan to Armenia.