Azeri police clash with pickets outside opposition party HQ

ANS TV, Baku
8 Aug 05

[Presenter] Another stand-off took place outside the headquarters of
the PFAP [People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party] today. Even blunt
objects were used in the confrontation. Several people on both sides
have been injured.

[Correspondent] Another stand-off took place outside the PFAP
headquarters today. The unauthorized action of protest staged by
representatives of several public organizations outside the PFAP
office condemning [recently arrested leader of the Yeni Fikir youth
movement] Ruslan Basirli’s establishment of secret cooperation with
Armenian secret services resulted in breach of public order.

The pickets, who initially gathered outside the Sahriyar culture
centre [central Baku] and proceeded towards the party headquarters
along Rasid Behbudov Street, were met by PFAP members at the
intersection of Rasid Behbudov and Xaqani streets. At first, the sides
chanted different slogans.

This, however, did not last long. The war of words quickly developed
into a war of plastic bottles and eggs. It was not long before the
sides started hurling stones at each other.

The attempts by the hugely outnumbered policemen of the Sabayil
district were initially in vain, but reinforcements were deployed in
the area quite soon, which prevented the sides from getting still
closer to each other.

But that was not easy at all. Since party members did not want to
return to their headquarters before the pickets have dispersed, a
minor scuffle took place between them and the police. Only one hour
later was the police able to restore order in the area.

Vahid Mammadli, Ibrahim Telmanoglu, ANS.

[Video showed one crowd of people holding placards condemning Ruslan
Basirli and another crowd chanting the name of the PFAP leader, Ali
Karimli; the crowds are separated by the police. The first crowd
chanted “Down with Ali Karimli!” and the other “Ali bay (form of
address) [Karimli]!”]