Suddenly, a squad of soldiers in ballistic helmets and camouflage pushed their way into a small side path between the barricade and the fenced-off pavement – where negotiations between the army and civilians were being held – and began to dismantle the barricade.
They quickly knocked down the metal walls and dragged the debris to the side, motioning urgently for the traffic to begin passing through.

The protesters reacted immediately, swelling into the street to prevent the cars from moving forward. In the glow of headlights, they shook their fingers at the drivers and laid their hands on the cars‘ hoods.

The soldiers approached to move the protesters out of the way, and a shoving match ensued – a rare physical confrontation between the army and the protesters, who have throughout the revolution chanted: „The people and the army, hand in hand!“

The confrontation simmered down without violence or an arrest.