QUBA, Azerbaijan, March 6 (UPI) -- Authorities in a northeastern city in Azerbaijan are employing policies that are in direct opposition to its residents, an opposition coalition said.
Thousands of people took to the streets last week in Quba demanding regional Gov. Rauf Habibov step down amid land disputes.
Habibov called residents "traitors" for selling land given to them as part of an agricultural reform program. The governor said residents "sold out," though Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports many were too poor to work the land.
The Public Chamber, a coalition of opposition groups, said the use of force against demonstrators was an "anti-people" policy, RFE/RL reports.
Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters. At least four people, three of which were police officers, were injured during the confrontations.
Habibov has since been fired and the news agency says the situation in Quba appears calm.
Last week's demonstrations were the largest outside the Azeri capital Baku since 2003.
