Azerbaijan marks National Rebirth Day

Azerbaijan is marking National Rebirth Day on Thursday. 23 years ago, on November 17, 1988, the main square of Baku, the Lenin Square (today’s Freedom Square) saw unsanctioned protests of Azerbaijani citizens against attempts to annex Nagorno-Karabakh and against anti-Azerbaijani policy of the former Soviet authorities.

It was a grand national movement. The Soviet forces drove out the citizens in early December. Azerbaijan calls it the moment of national freedom movement and considers it a factor for independence.

The protests gradually transformed into a political act. Some say about half a million people took part in the protest. Curfews were introduced in Baku on November 22, numerous troops were summoned to the area. But the actions failed to stop the protests. Troops and armored vehicles were used to drive out the protesters on the night of December 3-4. About 400 people were then arrested.

The National Rebirth Day symbolizes the beginning of the national freedom movement that allowed Azerbaijan to become an independent state.