A Stone Thrown from the Azerbaijani Embassy in the Netherlands Injures a Young Armenian Protester

A stone thrown from the Azerbaijani embassy in the Netherlands has injured an Armenian girl who was participating in a protest organized by the Armenian community condemning Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia. This was reported to ArmPress by the "Dutch Journal."

"Azerbaijan attempted to infiltrate along the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Tavush-Tovuz sector, violating the declared ceasefire, and was repelled, suffering numerous losses. Unfortunately, we could not avoid casualties. It is precisely because of this and Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior that the scattered Armenian diaspora, including in the Netherlands, has raised its voice in protest. They have planned two demonstrations. The first took place yesterday in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in The Hague. The second is scheduled for today in the heart of Amsterdam, at Dam Square, aimed more at informing the local populace about the reality. Flyers will be distributed about this event later. But first, let's focus on the first rally, which is known for a minor incident.

More youths gathered than expected in front of the Azerbaijani embassy to voice their protest against Azerbaijan's provocative actions. The Armenian side had informed the Dutch police in advance about the planned rally, communicated details about the ongoing events, and sent one of their representatives to discuss any arising issues with them. Once again, the Azerbaijani side was engaged in conspiracy, attempting to transfer the tension to the Armenian-Dutch arena and incite clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Everything was pre-planned to undermine the voice of the Armenian protesters. Posters condemning the "Armenian aggression," stating "Karabakh is Azerbaijan," and similar provocative messages were posted around the protective barriers surrounding the embassy building, with long poles supporting flags attached to almost each one. Another part of the conspiracy involved keeping supportive Azerbaijanis within the confines of the embassy’s barriers, the purpose of which later became obvious. Why was it necessary to keep Azerbaijani supporters inside the 'cage' when local police forces could have provided adequate conditions for the security of both parties? The Azerbaijani trap was revealed when one of the stones thrown from the Azerbaijani embassy hit a young Armenian girl participating in the demonstration. This is documented in a medical report.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with the media, these issues are viewed through the lens of equality and leveling. A regional site, Regio15.nl, reports under the headline "A Lot of Emotions": "Today, Azerbaijanis and Armenians gathered together near the Azerbaijani embassy for a demonstration. As old disputes between the two countries in the Caucasus have not been resolved and threaten to flare up anew, emotions ran high near the embassy. Azerbaijanis gathered inside the embassy precinct, while a group of Armenians stood a bit further away on the other side of the barricades. It was monitored by a small number of officers. As time passed, emotions escalated, and inappropriate words were exchanged. The police sensed that the situation could escalate. Additional officers, mounted police, and canine units arrived, numbering less than five to 15. From time to time, bottles were thrown, and smoke bombs were used. Armenians were kindly but urgently asked to leave, and where it could not be done quickly, "helping hands were extended" to them. By five-thirty, everything was completely calm. As far as is known, there were no arrests.”

From this article, it is evident that the Dutch police subtly sensed the Azerbaijani provocation. Otherwise, they would not have "kindly and urgently" asked the Armenians to leave at that time. Meanwhile, what did the Armenian protesters do? They honored and respected the memory of Armenian soldiers. They showed their support and devotion to our brave border guards. They reminded everyone that Aliyev is the aggressor, called for peace in Azerbaijan, and assured that threats against the Armenian people are unacceptable. They performed patriotic songs and dances, delivered speeches, and called for sobriety. The exposure of this Azerbaijani concealed plan has thrown the Azerbaijani embassy into a state of hysteria, which is evident on the embassy's website. Here, they also did not shy away from deceit. Violating Dutch copyright, they separated a video from the text and added their ridiculous comment: "Armenian protesters, who demand anti-war peace, are actually aggressive hooligans." Where it is evident that Armenians are hooligans, rests on the conscience of Azerbaijan's ambassador to the Netherlands, Fikret Akhundov. In reality, he is more worried about the reforms happening in Armenia and is horrified by the colors of the Armenian flag, as its colored smoke clouds rose above the embassy's barriers and even above the building.

Commenting on the incident, Armenia's ambassador in the Netherlands, Tigran Balayan, characterized the organization of a counter-protest at the space of the Azerbaijani embassy as a simple provocation and described it as a dangerous attempt to transfer the existing tension at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to the Netherlands and incite inter-ethnic conflict. The embassy has expressed its concerns regarding the provocative actions of the Azerbaijani embassy to the authorities of the Netherlands. He noted that the hate speech against Armenians, which is part of Azerbaijan's official policy recorded by numerous international organizations, is also reflected in the Azerbaijani embassy's social media pages in its worst aspects,” the statement concludes.