Tens of thousands of Armenians have converged on the capital, blocking roads and government buildings, as popular anger exploded over the ruling party's rejection of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan's premiership bid.
In an unprecedented show of defiance, protesters including many elderly people and housewives paralysed Yerevan, with nearly all streets closed to traffic and many stores shut, AFP correspondents reported.
Officials said that suburban train services were disrupted and the road linking Yerevan with its airport was blocked.
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Crowds of protesters across the city waved national flags, blew vuvuzelas and shouted "Free, independent Armenia!"
"Dear ones, metro and railroads have now been paralysed, the road to the airport has been shut down," Mr Pashinyan told his supporters, adding that a number of universities and schools have joined the protest movement.
It comes a day after Mr Pashinyan urged his supporters to launch a campaign of civil disobedience and block key transport links including an airport after he failed in his bid to get elected prime minister.
"From 8:15 am tomorrow all roads should be blocked, I announce a general strike," Mr Pashinyan told tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital Yerevan's Republic Square.
"A revolution of love and tolerance is continuing," he said, also urging people to turn out for a huge rally on Wednesday evening as the crowds chanted "Nikol! Nikol!".
Protesters said they will stay on the streets for as long as it takes to oust the ruling elites from power and get Pashinyan elected prime minister.
"The people will not give up, protests will not subside," Sergey Konsulyan, a 45-year-old businessman, told AFP.
Student Gayane Amiragyan, 19, added: "We will win because we are united, the whole Armenian people is united."
"The entire country is united in its demand that the Republicans' rule must end," said Laura Shahverdyan, a 22-year-old student."
Anait Tolmasyan, a 63-year-old pensioner, added: "We all only have one demand: the Republicans must go. Nikol is the true leader of the Armenian people."
Earlier Tuesday, Mr Pashinyan failed in his bid to become prime minister after the ruling Republican Party withheld its support in a crucial vote, raising fears of worsening political turmoil.
Politicians voted 45 in favour to 55 against Pashinyan, with the Republicans rejecting his candidacy after hours of deliberations during a day-long extraordinary parliament session.
The small South Caucasus country has been in the grip of a severe political crisis for the past few weeks.
Mr Pashinyan, who spearheaded the mass protests that led to the resignation of the veteran leader Sezh Sarkisian last month, has insisted that only he can rid the poor ex-Soviet nation of corruption and poverty and conduct free and fair elections.
