Its around 12 in the afternoon. I am walking towards the State Oil Academy, hoping to get a glimpse of what's going on. Exactly a year ago on this day, 12 people were shot dead at the Academy and today many of us were hoping to commemorate all those murdered.
But when I got to the academy there was nothing but the police, journalists and upset students and activists. From what I gathered from first accounts flowers- carnations were laid on stairs of the Oil Academy around 9AM- they were cleaned immediately. After that, no one was allowed to bring or lay any flowers.
I was given one carnation too, but a police man (or so I thought) dressed in civilian cloths took it from my pocket and tore it apart.
The road to the university was blocked. I knew that at 1 in the afternoon there will be some kind of commemoration service, but what I saw instead, was nothing more than mass violation of our rights, human rights.
At around 13.45 or 14.00, I was at the Samed Vurgun Park. There was a lot of people there and just as much police- both in uniforms and plain cloths. They were arresting, shouting, screaming. At some point they began arresting even those who were singing National Anthem.
Then, we were told to disperse and leave. We didn't. We began walking towards the Oil Academy but were not allowed to go near it.
Later that evening, I tried making sense of that day, but couldn't. Why would there be so much violence and hatred towards those who simply want to remember? My friends who were there for a peaceful march were arrested, beaten, pushed around on the ground. Why? For what purpose and what reason? Why when WE want we CAN'T remember but when "THEY" want we HAVE to remember?!
More photos here:
http://antv.ws/?lang=az&menu=news-view&id=540
http://www.irfs.az/component/option,com_datsogallery/Itemid,30/func,viewcategory/catid,497/lang,az/
Video below tells the story of that day...
1 comment:
What was this hullabaloo all about? Wouldn't that be better just to let people mourn, which would grab less negative attraction? I can't see the sense in beating, arresting and chasing people, especially when this day is really painful for those who studies there, teaches there, for relatives and friends of the people that were murdered that day because of nothing, and this is the only thing they can do, they can only remember those who died...
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