BAKU: NOT A PLACE FOR PROTESTS?
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66457
January 28, 2013 - 11:29am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
"Arrested. In a bus with great people," tweeted dissident Azerbaijani
blogger Emin Milli, after riot police chased, beat and hustled
protesters away from downtown Baku on January 26.
The Baku authorities have spared no effort to pound, quite literally,
into residents' heads that the center of the Azerbaijani capital is
not the place to protest; rather, it is a stage for the government's
various promotional campaigns, be it mega-pop concerts or international
thought-exchanges. . . past, present or future. Leave the protests,
please, to the outskirts.
But some have difficulty keeping the distinction straight. On January
26, just as President Ilham Aliyev, according to the Azerbaijani state
news agency AzerTaj, was allegedly negotiating about bringing Davos
to Baku (World Economic Forum spokespeople were not available for
confirmation -- ed), a Facebook-organized rally in the city to show
support for rioting residents of the northwestern town of Ismayili
risked stealing the show.
With such high aims as Davos (and the European Olympics) in mind,
the Azerbaijani government has very little patience these days for
protesters. Police troops crushed the Ismayili uprising, which had
been touched off by the reportedly thuggish behavior of the regional
governor's son; in Baku, police chased and herded supporters of the
Ismayili rioters away from the downtown area, and showered media
with similar attention. Among the arrestees were the usual suspects:
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Khadija Ismayilova (who also
has written for EurasiaNet.org) and activist Emin Milli.
Unaccustomed to such manifestations of public anger, Azerbaijani
officials are still wiping the sweat off their brows. One presidential
advisor declared that "hostile powers" are trying to sow discord and
chaos in Azerbaijan, but have been defeated. "Let nobody forget that
the state created with the honorable efforts of the national leader
Heydar Aliyev [President Ilham Aliyev's father --ed] is a strong
state that can push back any destructive force," declared security
and law enforcement advisor Fuad Alekserov, APA news agency reported.
In other words, the floor is clear in central Baku for mega-pop
concerts, business pow-wows and international sports events. As for
protests against the government and calls for justice, that's what
the suburbs are for.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66457
January 28, 2013 - 11:29am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
"Arrested. In a bus with great people," tweeted dissident Azerbaijani
blogger Emin Milli, after riot police chased, beat and hustled
protesters away from downtown Baku on January 26.
The Baku authorities have spared no effort to pound, quite literally,
into residents' heads that the center of the Azerbaijani capital is
not the place to protest; rather, it is a stage for the government's
various promotional campaigns, be it mega-pop concerts or international
thought-exchanges. . . past, present or future. Leave the protests,
please, to the outskirts.
But some have difficulty keeping the distinction straight. On January
26, just as President Ilham Aliyev, according to the Azerbaijani state
news agency AzerTaj, was allegedly negotiating about bringing Davos
to Baku (World Economic Forum spokespeople were not available for
confirmation -- ed), a Facebook-organized rally in the city to show
support for rioting residents of the northwestern town of Ismayili
risked stealing the show.
With such high aims as Davos (and the European Olympics) in mind,
the Azerbaijani government has very little patience these days for
protesters. Police troops crushed the Ismayili uprising, which had
been touched off by the reportedly thuggish behavior of the regional
governor's son; in Baku, police chased and herded supporters of the
Ismayili rioters away from the downtown area, and showered media
with similar attention. Among the arrestees were the usual suspects:
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Khadija Ismayilova (who also
has written for EurasiaNet.org) and activist Emin Milli.
Unaccustomed to such manifestations of public anger, Azerbaijani
officials are still wiping the sweat off their brows. One presidential
advisor declared that "hostile powers" are trying to sow discord and
chaos in Azerbaijan, but have been defeated. "Let nobody forget that
the state created with the honorable efforts of the national leader
Heydar Aliyev [President Ilham Aliyev's father --ed] is a strong
state that can push back any destructive force," declared security
and law enforcement advisor Fuad Alekserov, APA news agency reported.
In other words, the floor is clear in central Baku for mega-pop
concerts, business pow-wows and international sports events. As for
protests against the government and calls for justice, that's what
the suburbs are for.