Opposition Stages Big Rally in Azerbaijan (pro-Bush!)

[Judi Lynn]

Opposition Stages Big Rally in Azerbaijan

Saturday June 18, 2005 4:16 PM


By AIDA SULTANOVA

Associated Press Writer

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) - Thousands of demonstrators chanting ``Freedom'' and carrying portraits of President Bush marched across Azerbaijan's capital Saturday, demanding the resignation of the government and free parliamentary elections - in the biggest protest in years.

The protest of about 20,000 marchers, the second such rally in as many weeks, was organized by three leading opposition parties that formed the Azadlig (Freedom) bloc to run for parliamentary elections set for November.

About 200 police in full riot gear stood guard around a central square where protesters gathered. Brief clashes erupted when demonstrators tried to push police away from the square and officers in riot gear fought back with truncheons. Last month, police beat back protesters who tried to hold a banned rally in Baku and detained dozens.

Tensions have been building steadily in this oil-rich Caspian Sea nation in the run-up to the elections, leading some observers to predict that Azerbaijan could see a massive uprising similar to those that toppled unpopular regimes in other ex-Soviet nations of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan during the past 18 months.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5083565,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Carrying portraits of President Bush???????" Does this sound unlikely to anyone else?

http://www.despardes.com.nyud.net:8090/Albums/Bush/bush-laugh-0503.jpg

[Missy M]

1. Notice the "oil rich Caspian Sea nation" in the story...

now do you suppose old bushie boy and his cohorts could be behind this uprising?

[peekaloo]

2. John Dean touches upon Bu$h's support for this country in

'Worse than Watergate'.



Wonder how much this "demonstration" will cost the "Murkan taxpayers.

[Missy M]

3. It must have cost us plenty for bush to have his portraits...

printed up and distributed to the demonstrators.

[MindPilot]

4. I was going to call Bushit on this one but it's in the Guardian

so it probably not fabricated completely from whole cloth. But I do suspect an exaggeration. You know like when the local news stations report the five freepers at an anti-war rally as "strong support".

Hell, there probably people there with pictures of Stewie Griffin too!

To the Afghanis: If you like him so much, you are welcome to have him. He has run his administration like he cares more about Afghanistan and Iraq than he does the US anyway, so I'm sure he'll do a better job as Al-Whatever.

[converted_democrat]

5. Wonder how much the CIA paid the demonstrators this time???

:shrug: :shrug: :shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Could be they simply use the same professional demonstrators

we have already seen. They have a record of Republican success....

http://www.monitor.net.nyud.net:8090/monitor/0012a/protest2.gif

[Demeter]

6. Post 2008 Hideaway Location Revealed!

Come the election and the war crimes trials, the BFEE will hide its most liable members in a Soviet-era dacha in Azerbaijan, sources revealed today. While Rumsfeld, Cheny and Ashcroft share one bedroom, the second is for Dubya and Condoleeza Rice. Laura Bush is not expected to flee the country.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Kyrgyzstan government says it will crush unrest

Kyrgyzstan government says it will crush unrest
Reuters

Jun 18, 2005 — By Dmitry Solovyov

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's government warned on Saturday it would take tough new measures to crush unrest, after protesters angry at the exclusion of their candidate from elections briefly seized the main government building.

Hundreds forced their way through police lines into the building on Friday, before security forces ended the protest with tear gas and warning shots. Ministers were quick to depict the incident as a failed coup attempt by supporters of exiled former president Askar Akayev.

"We have been too shy to show force to the people. From now on, we will use force in a pretty tough way," Acting Deputy Prime Minister Adakhan Madumarov told a news conference, in response to a question from a German journalist.

"In your report, say hello to Germany so they send us democracy tools like water cannon and tear gas grenades."
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=860902

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The guy got off a good one! "Democracy tools like water cannon and tear gas grenades...."

[The2ndWheel]

9. Good for them

http://www.usacc.org/contents.php?cid=2

The protests won't do much, as I'm guessing these people will control Azerbaijan no matter what votes may be cast, but good for them anyway. A little misguided carrying portraits of Bush, but it's a crazy world with a bunch of freaks at the top of the food chain.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Opposition stages big rally in Azerbaijan

Opposition stages big rally in Azerbaijan

By Aida Sultanova

June 18, 2005 | BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) -- Thousands of demonstrators chanting "Freedom" and carrying portraits of President Bush marched across Azerbaijan's capital Saturday, demanding the resignation of the government and free parliamentary elections -- in the biggest protest in years.

The protest of about 20,000 marchers, the second such rally in as many weeks, was organized by three leading opposition parties that formed the Azadlig (Freedom) bloc to run for parliamentary elections set for November.

About 200 police in full riot gear stood guard around a central square where protesters gathered. Brief clashes erupted when demonstrators tried to push police away from the square and officers in riot gear fought back with truncheons. Last month, police beat back protesters who tried to hold a banned rally in Baku and detained dozens.

Tensions have been building steadily in this oil-rich Caspian Sea nation in the run-up to the elections, leading some observers to predict that Azerbaijan could see a massive uprising similar to those that toppled unpopular regimes in other ex-Soviet nations of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan during the past 18 months.
(snip)

The opposition bloc has chosen orange as its campaign color -- the color that was also used by the Ukrainian opposition during mass protests dubbed "Orange Revolution" that helped pave way for the victory of a Western-backed candidate over a Russia-backed rival.
(snip)

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2005/06/18/azerbaijan/
(Registration is required, or brief view of an advertisement to obtain a free day's pass....)



Isn't this sweet? Both first ladies wearing shades
of orange to celebrate the Orange "Revolution" in
_Bush's new satellite, the Ukraine.

[AX10]

11. Three nations: Armenia, Azerbijan, and Georgia...

all neighbors, they seem to be nothing more than puppet for Bush's "sham of democratic uprising".

I really don't respect these countries if they are proclaiming Bush to a "savior". :puke:

[hadrons]

12. think of the topping of Saddam's statue

[Dover]

13. Interesting how all these 'uprisings' are along the pipeline routes.

Tensions have been building steadily in this oil-rich Caspian Sea nation in the run-up to the elections, leading some observers to predict that Azerbaijan could see a massive uprising similar to those that toppled unpopular regimes in other ex-Soviet nations of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan during the past 18 months.

Our intelligence agencies have been working overtime on this. They should privatize their services and advertise themselves as "Revolutions-R-US".

[manic expression]

14. Funny.....

funny that Bush supports Azerbaijan's horrible government. Oh well. Those few bought and paid US-employed "protestors" does not represent the entire march at all. Actually, I think this is a PR stunt by the WH to make it look like they support "freedom" (yeah, right; more like they support people who play pretend - with money).

[MisterP]

15. and the brutal new "Tulip Revolution" regime too

and the Orange, Cedar, Rose, and Puce Revolution-thingies

[Lori Price CLG]

17. 'Orange Revolution' cute scarves from the GAP - paid for by US taxpayers

...in the aftermath of the Bush's *second* coup d'etat.

Lori Price

[Lori Price CLG]

16. How much did that phony rally cost US taxpayers? ROFL. n/t

[otohara]

18. Pssst...Bush Doesn't Really Believe in Freedom & Elections

he made that real obvious in November 2000