Police in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, have broken up a protest against a ban on schoolgirls wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

A crowd estimated at between 100 and several hundred people gathered outside the Education Ministry shouting “God is great” and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Misir Mardanov.

Video footage by an RFE/RL correspondent shows police dragging several people away in police vans. It’s not clear how many people were detained.

According to Eurasianet, a video of the scuffle posted on YouTube depicts something less than an orderly resolution of the matter. One policeman sprays an unknown substance into the face of a chanting protester as he is bundled into a police car. Another, sporting an officer’s flamboyant hat, delivers a well-aimed kick to the backside of a departing protester.

The hijab ban announced late last year has sparked a series of public protests in Azerbaijan.

Authorities say the ban is part of an attempt to restore Soviet-era school uniforms to public education.