WATCH: Azerbaijani Police Break Up Opposition Protest (in Azeri)
Azerbaijani Police Break Up Opposition Protest
Police in Azerbaijan have arrested around 30 opposition activists who tried to stage a protest in Baku demanding the president's resignation and the dissolution of parliament.
Around 100 people, called to join the protest via Facebook, took to the streets, shouting, "Dissolve the parliament!" and "The president should resign!"
Around 30 activists were arrested.
Police officers broke up the demonstration by wielding truncheons and pushing some of the demonstrators onto city buses.
Some journalists at the scene were beaten by police when they tried to take photographs of the arrests.
The protest, which did not have official authorization, was organized by the youth wings of opposition parties forming part of the Azeri Public Chamber.
Among the biggest opposition parties that are members of the Public Chamber are the Popular Front Party and Musavat.
Despite near-total government control over the media, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service has built a high-impact social-media presence in Azerbaijan and a reputation as a leading source of independent news.
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
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