Azerbaijani Youth Ridicule Mubarak Statue

Monument of Egypt president Hosni Mubarak in a Baku park

BAKU -- A group of Azerbaijani youth activists staged a demonstration February 6 near a statue of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Baku, in a gesture of solidarity with anti-Mubarak protesters in Egypt, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

The protesters whistled at the statue, chanted slogans, and held up posters, some in English, saying: "Dictator Exit," and "Be off Hosni Mubarak."

They also chanted slogans against price increases for some basic services, such as water, train fares, and postal services, that went into effect in Azerbaijan this month.

The demonstration, organized by dozens of young people from some opposition parties and independent youth organizations, lasted just a minute and ended when the police arrived. No detentions were reported.

Mubarak’s statue is situated in the Egypt-Azerbaijan Friendship Park in Khirdalan, suburban Baku.

This was the first protest in Azerbaijan to show solidarity with anti-Mubarak protesters who have been demonstrating in Cairo and other Egyptian cities for nearly two weeks.

Read in Azeri here