** Azeri Television Flashes Youth Opposition Leader in an Alcohol Related Set-up! **
Rule #1: Never waste a good bouquet on the opposition! Sadly, the “flower fight” soon degenerated into an “egg fight”:
The confrontation between about 100 pro- and anti-government demonstrators started as an attempt to make peace, following clashes on Monday in which the two sides showered each other with bottles and stones.
Elderly female supporters of the National Front opposition party brought carnations to a group of pro-government female demonstrators in conservative Islamic dress. But the gesture was refused and soon both sides were using the flowers against each other, before resorting to egg throwing.
The incident was one of the more bizarre signs of growing tension ahead of a November parliamentary poll in the oil-rich, mainly Muslim republic.
Although violent, this conflict with flower petals was less painful than the rocks and bottles that were thrown yesterday at a demonstration:
Some 300 pro- and anti-government demonstrators in former Soviet Azerbaijan showered each other with stones and bottles Monday in a clash over an opposition leader’s alleged contacts with Armenian secret police, but there were no reports of serious injuries.
The Leader of the Youth Opposition Group was arrested this past weekend.
** Here are the pictures of his famous toast in Armenia! **
These pictures flashed on TV in Azerbaijan show the young leader, Beshirli, toasting with disguised government officials in a bar in Armenia where he admitted to them that he wished for an Azerbaijan color revolution like the ones in nearby Ukraine and Georgia. He was arrested this past weekend for what many believe was a setup.
The arrested Chairman of “Yeni Fikir” Youth Movement, Ruslan Beshirli, who is charged with cooperation with Armenian special services, was sent to Remand Prison located in Bayil yesterday.
Publius Pundit has more thoughts on Azerbaijan.