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Thousands of people demonstrated in Azerbaijan calling for war after recent deadly clashes with neighboring Armenia.
Protesters marched through the capital Baku, demanding that the government fully deploy the army, with some even entering the national parliament.
Security forces responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Recent border fighting has killed at least 16 people.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan were part of the Soviet Union before their collapse in the 1990s.
Since then, they have been caught in an unresolved conflict over a disputed territory called Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians.
The latest deadly outbreak in the fighting, far north of Nagorno-Karabakh, has sparked an international response.
Russia and the United States have called for calm. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his country was “deeply concerned” about the violence and called for an “immediate reduction” and the resumption of peace talks.
On Tuesday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would not hesitate to defend Azerbaijan.
What happened in Baku?
Thousands of people gathered in Baku’s Azadliq Square on Tuesday night waving the national flag and calling on the government to mobilize troops and retake Nagorno-Karabakh.
The protesters shouted “Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” and “Mobilization!” as they marched through the city toward the national assembly. Some called for the resignation of the head of the armed forces.
A small group of protesters entered the building, reportedly breaking windows and chandeliers inside before they were removed by security forces. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds outside.
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Some protesters even entered the national parliament, prompting government condemnation.
This was the largest public gathering in the country for years, with some media reports estimating the participation of up to 30,000 people.
Officials condemned the actions of the protesters. On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said seven people had been arrested for “mass unrest” and “resistance or use of force against a government official,” and a full investigation is underway. Seven officers were injured, a statement said.
Mass gatherings are currently banned in Azerbaijan in an attempt to control the spread of the coronavirus.
What happens at the border?
The fighting broke out over the weekend with tanks and artillery. However, on Wednesday, defense officials from both countries said there had been no further fighting overnight.
The two sides accuse each other of bombing civilian areas on the border between Tavush in northeast Armenia and the Tovuz district in Azerbaijan.
At least 11 Azeri soldiers and one Azeri civilian were killed, according to Azerbaijan. Armenia has reported that four of its soldiers have died, including two officers.
The Azerbaijani army said it had destroyed an Armenian fortification and artillery and killed “hundreds” of Armenian troops. Armenia denied having suffered casualties on that scale.
Tensions last turned into conflict in 2016, and countries clashed over disputed territory for four days. The BBC reported from both sides of the fight.
- Nagorno-Karabakh: BBC visits Azerbaijan’s frontline side
- Nagorno-Karabakh: the fight against humor dominates the Armenians
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has long been trying to mediate a solution to the conflict, with diplomats from France, Russia and the United States, forming the Minsk Group of the OSCE, trying to build on the Stop the fire.
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Reuters
The Azeris have publicly mourned those who died in the border fighting.
