( CNN ) -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said . The protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . The state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , Yerevan , said Salpi Ghazarian , assistant to the Armenian foreign minister , who spoke to CNN early Sunday . The state of emergency could last until March 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a U.S. Embassy official . Ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition » . The embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days . As of early Sunday morning , Freedom Square was empty , Ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia » . `` What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' Ghazarian said . `` After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . There are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` We 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning 's action by Armenian riot police was bloody , but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` These are innocent people , '' she said . `` They just want their freedom . They just want to be heard . They are being beaten up , some people have horrible wounds . '' She asked that CNN not use her name because she feared for her safety . As night fell Saturday , the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters ' gathering , and tracer fire could be seen in the sky , according to another Yerevan resident , who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety . The man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day . The car initially did not stop , he said , but the protesters surrounded the car , dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle , he said . The officers were able to escape , he said , but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck . The protests began soon after the February 19 presidential election . Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian , a political ally of outgoing President Kocharian . The opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided . Ghazarian said Sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition . `` We are hoping with the help of the international community , the opposition , the leader of the opposition , will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets , '' she said . Haroutiun Khachatrian , editor of the Noyan Tappan News Agency , told CNN that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square Saturday morning , including many opposition party officials . Ter-Petrosian was there but was not arrested , he said . The opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means . The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) monitored last month 's Armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards , although it did include some criticism in its report . The U.S. Embassy has warned the several hundred Americans living in Yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place , the U.S. official said . Armenia , population 3 million , is a former Soviet republic east of Turkey , south of Georgia and north of Iran . E-mail to a friend .
NEW : Protest moves after crackdown at Freedom Square . Order sought after protests over last month 's election turn violent . Demonstrators say the election was fraudulent . State of emergency could last until March 20 , official says .