Thousands Rally in Azerbaijan to Protest Contested Election

Thousands of protesters have demonstrated in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku challenging last week's parliamentary elections.

Sunday's rally drew about 20,000 protesters, the second mass demonstration in less than a week. Protesters shouted "resign" and "freedom," calling for a new election and for the government to step down. Many waved orange flags, a symbol of the so-called orange revolution that forced out Ukraine's former government.

On Saturday, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said there was no likelihood of a popular revolution in his country.

Last Wednesday, about 15,000 protesters marched in Baku to challenge elections that gave the ruling party control of parliament.

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe say the election failed to meet international standards for democracy.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.