Baku: activists protest against using violence to women

On October 20, in central Baku, about fifty people held, despite policemen's counteraction, a rally in protest against using violence to women, and agreed to end it only after the detainees were released.

The action was organized through the Facebook by the group "Never tolerate, but protest!"

The organizers had notified the city authorities of their intention to hold the action, but failed to receive a sanction. The Mayoralty's answer said that a march in central city "would interfere with people's rest."

On October 20, about 60 people, mainly women and girls, gathered in front of the monument to the poetess Natavan. They were supported by men, including Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the "Republican Alternative" (ReAl) Party. Protesters raised posters reading "Don't kill women!", "Protest violence!", "End to violence against women" and others like that, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The police demanded that the protesters disperse, citing the non-sanctioned action; however, they stated in response that the Mayoralty's decision to ban a peaceful protest was illegal. Then, police officers, including police women, began tearing out posters from protesters and detain them with the use of force. Law enforcers drove about 10 girls from the scene.

The remaining activists began shouting loudly and demanding to release of the detainees. This even more attracted the attention of others who began condemning policemen's violent actions. After that, policemen released the detainees.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 20, 2019 at 09:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.