Incidents during the July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes

The following is a list of civilian incidents that occurred during the 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes.

Major incidents

Food City boycott On 16 July, Azerbaijanis working at Food City, Moscow's largest fruit and vegetable market owned by Azerbaijan-born God Nisanov, boycotted perishable berries sold by Armenians such as apricots and cherries. The boycott subsequently grew from being purely economical to involving forcible dispersement of Armenian merchant trucks, disallowing people with Armenian license plates to make purchases in the market, and, according to the Armenian media outlets, even allegedly extending to threats against fellow Azerbaijani merchants and their families if they continued trading with Armenians, many of whom were unwilling or unable to join the boycott. As a result, goods loaded in large trucks turned into waste, and around 65 trucks owned by Armenians were forcibly removed from the market. On 17 July, a video surfaced of Azeris in Food City stomping on apricots in a symbolic protest act against the renowned fruit of Armenia. However, Uzbek merchants of the same market later revealed that the stomped apricots were actually from Turkey.

Armenian–Azerbaijani fighting in Los Angeles

On 21 July in Los Angeles, a violent clash between Armenian protesters and Azerbaijani counter-protesters erupted in front of the Azerbaijani consulate, resulting in the injury an officer. LAPD said one person was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer. The demonstration was organized by ANCAWR. Demonstration organizer Alex Galitsky told that he was not aware of any injuries, but said there had been "small scuffles breaking out." Nasimi Aghayev, Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles reported that "seven people were injured and five were hospitalized as a result of attacks by Armenian protesters". Galitsky says the violence began when “an Azerbaijani protester assaulted a female Armenian protester, knocking her out with a flag pole while she was in her car.” In his letter to Azerbaijani Consulate, Mayor of Los-Angeles Eric Garcetti condemned the "action of those who resorted for violence" and promised the City “will continue to work to ensure" the safety of Azerbaijani-American community. However, Garrcetti also tweeted in support of Los Angeles' Armenian community, calling Azerbaijan's threats against Armenia "provocative and dangerous." According to LAPD, demonstrators "were protesting acts of aggression toward Armenia by Azerbaijan, when a counter-protest began and an altercation occurred". Three people were injured. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes in Brussels

On July 22, Armenian and Azerbaijani demonstrators clashed in front of the Azerbaijani embassy. On July 23 a demonstration was held in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Brussels in protest at the recent attack on Armenia. Counter-demonstrators gathered inside the Embassy compound and threw various objects at the Armenian demonstrators, some of whom also threw objects back at them. According to Azerbaijani sources, this led the correspondent of the European Bureau of Azerbaijan-based REAL TV Khatira Sardargizi to be injured.

Armenian–Azerbaijani rampages in Moscow

On 24–25 July, Azerbaijanis and Armenians engaged in fights and violent rampages in Moscow. "360" TV channel reported that Azerbaijanis stopped cars with Armenian vehicle registration plates and beat people in them. Then, a group of unidentified people smashed the windows of a café of Azerbaijani cuisine on Mosfilmovskaya Street, with an additional brawl being organized by 15 Armenians in an Azerbaijani-owned restaurant called "1001 Nights". On 25 July, the local police detained more than 30 people in Moscow for fighting on inter ethnic grounds. Same day, the Kuzminsky District Court of Moscow chose "measure of restraint in the form of taking into custody against P. B. Hamidov and B. R. Valiev for 2 months". On 25 July, law enforcement officers in Saint Petersburg detained more than 60 Armenians and Azerbaijanis as "part of a preventive raid".

Minor incidents

– On 18 July, demonstrators, who were holding the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags, as well as posters that read "Justice for Azerbaijan", "Armenia must fulfill the decisions of the United Nations", and "Armenia should leave the lands it occupies in Azerbaijan", gathered and held a rally in front of the State Opera, in Vienna. – On 17 July, a protest was organized by the Armenians in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ottawa, to condemn "Azerbaijan's aggressive policy towards Armenia". The demonstrators handed a letter to Azerbaijan's deputy ambassador, which declared that Azerbaijani government, "in violation of international law, is targeting innocent citizens and threatening to attack Armenia's nuclear power plant" and the Azerbaijani leadership "has no intention of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict". They continued the demonstration in front of the Canadian Parliament. The demonstrators had slogans saying "Canadians against Hate & Crime", "Peace for Nagorno-Karabakh", "Aliyev is a Hatemonger", "Azerbaijan bombing civilians". On 19 July, Azerbaijanis and Turks held a rally in support of the Azerbaijani Army in Toronto and Ontario. Participants chanted slogans in different languages. On July 25 in Ottawa, car rally was organized by the Azerbaijanis living in Canada to protest "Armenian provocations" on the state border of Armenia-Azerbaijan. The cars passed through the streets, passing the buildings of Canadian Parliament, Senate, Foreign Ministry, foreign embassies, including Armenian embassy. Participants demanded Canadian government to take steps in "defending the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan" chanting “Karabakh is Azerbaijan!", "Stop Armenia's aggressive policy!", "Canada must act now!". In Toronto, Armenian demonstrators participated in a car rally, holding Artsakh and Canadian flags. The convoy moved south on Victoria Park, west on Danforth Avenue and Bloor Street to Yonge Street, north on Yonge to Sheppard and east on Sheppard to the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto. In Toronto, Armenians held a protest starting from the Turkish Deputy PM's office (also the Trade Minister), then marched down to the consulate. The protestors held flags of Artsakh and Canada, along with signs saying “Defend Armenia!”, “Stop Azeri & Turkish Aggression”, “Defend Artsakh”, and “Never Forget 1915 2020”. – In Prague, dozens of Armenians held a silent protest, condemning aggression in Nagorno Karabakh. Dozens of candles were lit for the victims. The participants in the demonstration held banners condemning ’s aggression and urging the Czechs not to be indifferent to the conflict. The event was organized by the Association of Armenian Youth of the Czech Republic. The protesters held banners with slogans “Peace for Armenians”, “Stop the aggression”, “Don’t be blind”, “Prevent another genocide”, “Killing of civilians must end” and “Czechs, speak.” – On 14 July, the entrance of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris was colored with the notes "No to War", and "Stop Aliyev". – On 16 July, a group of Azerbaijanis gathered in front of the Armenian Embassy to Georgia, in Tbilisi and protested against "Armenia's provocation in the Tovuz direction". On 18 July, Azerbaijanis, holding the flags of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey in their hands, held a rally to support the Azerbaijani Armed Forces before the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tbilisi. – On 18 July, more than 500 Azerbaijanis gathered in front of the Armenian Embassy in Berlin, shouting slogans such as "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!", and "Azerbaijan, we are with you!". Simultaneously, Azerbaijanis also held a rally in Düsseldorf, shouting slogans such as "Karabakh is Azerbaijan", "No to the Armenian terror!", "Justice for Khojaly", "Martyrs do not die, the homeland will not be divided". On the same day, Armenians gathered and held a rally in Munich, chanting "We want peace without weapons". Participants, who were holding the flags and posters of Armenia, sang "When your thoughts fly home". According to Armenian media outlets, there were also Azerbaijanis willing "to silence the song of the Armenian youth with their shouts. For a moment they tried to provoke the protesters, but the German police did not allow it". On 19 July, demonstrations were held in Breslauer Square and in front of the Cologne Cathedral, in Cologne. Demonstrators, who were carrying the Azerbaijani flags in their hands, denounced the "unjust and aggressive attitude of Armenia". On 24 July, a group of 20-30 Azerbaijanis attacked an Armenian-owned hookah bar in Cologne. According to the owner of the bar, one of the masked men, who identified himself and the entire group as Azerbaijanis, asked him if he was Armenian. Then the attackers broke into the hookah bar, threw chairs and smashed windows. Law enforcement agencies suppose that the incident was politically motivated. – On 18 July, about 250 Azerbaijani and Turkish protesters gathered and held a rally against Armenia and in support of the Azerbaijani Army in Heroes' Square, Budapest. The participants were holding the flags of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Hungary, and posters that read "Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan!", and "End Armenian aggression!". – On 17 July, a rally in support of Azerbaijan was held in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tabriz, where participants shouted slogans like "Karabakh is ours, it will remain ours". Voice of America reported that as a result, the "citizens who took part in the rally and gathered in predetermined places were subjected to severe repression", and that "number of detained activists and citizens" was high, but "their identities are unknown". The military forces used tear gas and reportedly clashed with protesters in Tabriz, Ardebil, Tehran and Urmia. 38 were detained during demonstrations. Simultaneously, police and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps dispersed the Azerbaijani Iranians trying to gather in front of the Armenian Embassy in Tehran. – On 20 July, Azerbaijanis held a rally in Rome to protest against the "recent provocations of Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan". Protesters, who demonstrated their support for the Azerbaijani Army, chanted slogans such as "Martyrs never die, homeland will never be divided", and "Karabakh is Azerbaijan". On October 13, Armenians held a demonstration in Rome in front of the Montecitorio to ask Italy to condemn the Azerbaijani invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh and call for an end to the violence and clashes. – On 22 July, clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis took place in the capital Chișinău. The Congress of Azerbaijanis in Moldova attempted to hold a protest in front of Armenia's Embassy in Chișinău. Armenians of Moldova arranged a counter-protest and stood in front at the entrance to the diplomatic mission. Law enforcement officers had to interfere after which the Azerbaijanis left the site. – On 18 July, Azerbaijanis gathered in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in the Hague and held posters, and pictures of the Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians killed in their hands, and chanted slogans in Dutch and English. The Azerbaijani National Anthem, as well as military marches, were played through a loudspeaker. Then, about 100 Armenians also gathered and held a rally in front of the embassy. They held the Armenian flags and shouted slogans such as "Armenia", "Artsakh", and "Aliyev – dictator".