Today, thousands of Azerbaijanis poured into the Alley of Martyrs in Baku to commemorate those killed on January 19-20, 1990. Local TV channels did not air any entertainment programs, and Baku metro played mourning music. All metro stations and escalators were decorated with red carnations. Traffic movement was restricted in certain parts of the city from 7am till the ceremony to ensure safety of visitors to the Alley of Martyrs. Traffic on all major roads and intersections was limited.
Whether in cars or on foot, citizens observed a minute a silence for those who perished during the January massacre of 1990, where 137 people were killed following a state of emergency during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On January 19, 1990, 26,000 Soviet troops entered Baku following a series of riots. The Soviet forces attacked the protesters and fired into the crowd. Scores were injured and arrested. The carnage, also known as Black Saturday, is considered as the rebirth of the Azerbaijani Republic.
