The Azerbaijani opposition held a rally against the early presidential elections.This rally was the first joint action of the main opposition organizations of Azerbaijan, the National Council of Democratic Forces, the People’s Front and “Musavat” parties during the last five years.
Although the Baku City Authorities had agreed for the rally to be held on the outskirts of Baku, a day before the protest, its organizers were summoned to the Baku Police Department. There they were warned that any slogan that was not mentioned in the letter to the municipality was unacceptable.
As usual, different sources reported different data on the number of participants in the rally. Baku police reported that 1,500 people participated in the rally, while the organizers argue that the number of participants reached ten thousand. According to the reporter of JAMnews, it is more accurate to speak about three to three and a half thousand participants.
Here are some typical quotations from the speech of the speakers at the rally. The rally took place in an emotional atmosphere: the participants were chanting “Freedom” and “resign” slogans.