17:10, 16 February 2014

Baku hosts rally against demolition of 10,000 houses in city centre (+video)

Baku, February 16, 2014. Rally by residents of Narimanov street (former Sovietskaya) and neighboring boroughs against demolition of their houses. In the centre – deputy head of Yasamal District of Baku Samed Islamov. Photo by Kyamal Ali for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

On February 16, a rally was held in Baku by residents of the central city district consisting of old one- and two-storey private houses. The protesters were unhappy with the authorities' plan to demolish the district and build a park area instead.

According to rough estimates, the rally that began at 2 in the afternoon and lasted for about two hours was attended by some 3-4 thousand people – residents of Narimanov (former Sovietskaya) Street and surrounding neighbourhoods. Residents of other Baku districts also came, believing that the fate of the population of Sovietskaya Street may one day touch on them.

Nothing is known about the organizers of the rally: announcements were sent to cell phones and pasted on the walls of buildings as leaflets.

The non-sanctioned rally was not dispersed by the present policemen. After the rally was addressed by Samed Islamov, the deputy head of the executive power of the Yasamal District of Baku, policemen asked the protesters to disperse. Some of them called people to stay, but by 4 o'clock in the evening the crowd dispersed.

Author: Kyamal Ali

Source: CK correspondent