Howling Azeris

[Armat]

This could explain in concrete terms Iranian support of Armenia. Notice the schizophrenic Azeris chanting.

 

Paper reports high turnout in Azeri march in Iran

 

Vatandas Hamrayliyi, Baku

4 Jul 04

 

 

Text of Mansura Sattarova report by Azerbaijani newspaper Vatandas

Hamrayliyi on 4 July headlined "Our tricolour was raised over Fort

Bazz" and subheaded "Despite serious resistance by the Persian police,

200,000 of our compatriots managed to get into the fort"

 

"The march to Fort Bazz has been staged for eight years, but never

before has there been so much pressure and resistance against the

participants. Moreover, there were attempts to reduce the number of

demonstrators by changing the timing of the march. Despite this, the

march to Fort Bazz was successful," said Ali Nicat, head of the

analytical-information centre of the Southern Azerbaijan Department of

the Congress of Azerbaijanis of the World CAW . In all, more than

500,000 Azeris took part in the march, he said.

 

It started on the evening of 30 June and became a mass rally on 1

July, Nicat said. The Iranian government resorted to some measures,

including pressure and intimidation, to prevent the march, and the

fort was surrounded by the police and the special forces, he

said. There were about 40,000 policemen and servicemen around it. In

addition, one of the two roads to the fort was closed. "Buses were

stopped on the road and forced to turn back. There were six

checkpoints on the 10-kilometre road between the fort and the town of

?Kalheydar . There were over 20 checkpoints on the road between the

fort and Tabriz. Hotels near the fort - ?Azadliq and Babak - were also

closed and entry into the nearby village was banned. The government

tried everything possible to dissuade the people from attending the

march. They even staged military exercises around the fort and

announced that this was a military zone."

 

The activists of the National Liberation Movement NLM , including

members of Shams-e Tabriz, were officially banned in advance from

joining the march and placed under house arrest on 1 and 2 July, Nicat

said. "The police asked the people on 1 July to leave the fort, but

nobody took notice of it. The police did not allow the 400,000 Azeris

inside and outside the fort to come together. Some 200,000 managed to

get into the castle, but the rest could not cross the police

barriers. In order to show their unity, the people inside and outside

the fort shouted the slogan 'Unity'. There had been several clashes

between the police and Azeris by 3 July. More than 200 demonstrators

were arrested, including well-known intellectuals and activists of the

NLM - Ali Suleymani, Seyid Calil Huseyni, Mansur Mahammadi and Huseyn

Abid all names untraced . On 2 July, the police and people in plain

clothes attempted to destroy the tents around the fort. They beat up

some demonstrators and injured 60 women."

 

There were more than 300 bonfires in the area. While slogans such as

"Long live United Azerbaijan", "Russians, Persians and Armenians are

enemies of Turks", "Death to the enemies of Azerbaijan" and "Artsax

or death" were chanted, the people around the bonfires sang various

songs in their mother tongue. On the night of 2-3 July, at about 0000

2030 gmt on 2 July , they sang the national anthem of Azerbaijan and

raised the tricolour in and around the fort, Nicat said.Although the 3 July was the last day of the march, some people were

arrested and faced police resistance yesterday. "A person named ?Lavai

went to the top of the fort and spoke about the life of Babak Azeri

national hero who fought the Arabs in the 8th century , his actions

and the significance of the march. The police arrested Lavai and 30

others."

 

The police did not allow filming outside the fort and all cameras were

broken.

 

There are seven CAW members among those arrested. There is no official

information as to where the detainees are kept. Reports from some

sources suggest that most of them are in Tabriz and others in Ardabil.

[Armat]

"Long live United Azerbaijan", "Russians, Persians and Armenians are

enemies of Turks", "Death to the enemies of Azerbaijan" and "Artsax

This is ironic.Don't the Azeris claim there are not Turks!!!Clear example of identity disorder.

[Arpa]

Hamrayliyi on 4 July headlined "Our tricolour was raised over Fort

Bazz"

They raised the Haykakan Yeraguyn?

 

Naaah! :)

 

Things are happening in those parts of the world.

What is in for us?

What if Iran decides to suppress it with force. Will third (and fourth)parties get involved?

 

As to Azeris v Turks. In Armenia they simply call them Turks. Some time ago they were known as Tatars, now they are just "Turks", or "Azeri Turks" at best.

Edited July 5, 2004 by Arpa