AZERBAIJAN: Protesters stage street action in Baku, ahead of the Eurovision song contest final on Saturday

Record ID: 218251

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Protesters stage street action in Baku, ahead of the Eurovision song contest final on Saturday
  • Date: 26th May 2012
  • Summary: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (MAY 25, 2012) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING AS PROTESTERS GATHER OUTSIDE METRO STATION POLICE STANDING ON ROAD SIDE BLUE POLICE LIGHT AS PROTESTERS GATHERING IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE LOOKING DOWN FROM BALCONY AS CAMERA MOVES DOWN TO REVEAL CROWD GATHERING BELOW POLICE DETAINING PROTESTERS, PUTTING THEM INTO POLICE VEHICLE POLICE VAN DRIVING AWAY VARIOUS POLIC
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAEZ2AC04A0UACFENTV8O0NCWMZ
  • Story Text: Protesters took to the streets in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Friday (May 25), and many of them were detained by police. Protesters took advantage of the attention being paid to the ex-Soviet republic during the Eurovision Song Contest which the country is hosting.
    The mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic, will hold the grand final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday (May 26).
    Although the country's authorities see the competition as a chance to showcase the country and - flush with cash from oil and gas sales - has spent $60 million on a city facelift intended to show its achievements, activist groups advocating a broad spectrum of issues - from human rights to religion - have also sought to use the occasion to draw attention to their campaigns.
    In March, Armenia pulled out of the contest, underscoring tensions over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-backed forces wrested the mainly Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, from Azeri control after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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