Azerbaijan: Bloggers speak about Baku youth protest, detentions

Following a terrifying shooting spree at a Baku university which left 13 dead, students took to the streets to demand that a national day of mourning be declared in Azerbaijan. With the request falling on deaf ears, several youth activists, among them some bloggers, planned to protest the inaction, and specifically a festive holiday of flowers scheduled for 10 May.

Jessica P. Hayden is off the map sets the scene.

According to several blogger reports […] there was a candle light vigil at the oil academy on Friday that was broken up by the police.

[…]

Later the vigil became much more of a protest. According to some folks people were shouting “Down with Terrorism! Down with Corruption!”

Next week is the former president’s birthday. […] In past years flowers have even been used to create a portrait of the former president. Some locals have been questioning whether it is proper to continue with the celebration in the face of the tragedy. It will certainly be interesting to see how the government responds.

Coordinated by various means, including online social networks such as Facebook, turnout for the peaceful protest last Sunday might have been small, but its significance was enough to force the hand of the authorities. The demonstration was dispersed and 50 people, including at least 3 bloggers, were detained.

Among them was Global Voices Online author Ali S. Novruzov, who today recounted what happened on his personal blog, In Mutatione Fortitudo.

We were around 20-30 youth, most have seen each other first time, and were sitting in front of the National Conservatoire - opposite the Heydar Aliyev Park where the Holiday of Flowers was held. We had two read carnations in our hands (symbols of mourning in Azerbaijan) and were just observing Sodom and Gomorrah across the road and were depressed by the sight of thousands visiting the Holiday - for these law-abiding families, teachers with their students seemed to have no pity to those killed at the Oil Academy rampage.

I think it was this depression that made us to stand up and leave the scene for State Oil Academy to lay our carnations in front of the building in memory of those killed 11 days ago. However, we didn’t make just two steps and got immediately detained. […]

The full post, accompanied by photographs and videos, is continued on Global Voices Online.