Marchers In Little Armenia Call For Official Recognition Of Genocide
April 24, 2007
NBC News
LOS ANGELES -- Thousands of people denouncing the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1915 marched in Hollywood and rallied at the Turkish Consulate Tuesday, blocking some streets but remaining generally peaceful, officials said.
One group of protesters marched through Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard between Western and Normandie avenues around noon, and another group gathered at the Turkish Consulate at 6300 Wilshire Blvd. in the Miracle Mile area about 4 p.m.
Both protests were peaceful and no arrests were made, said Officer Karen Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department. Both rallies lasted about two hours.
Police estimated the crowds at about 1,500, but organizers said the numbers were closer to 7,000 people.
Numerous people spoke in front of the consulate, and some tried to deliver a letter to the staff of the Turkish consulate, calling on the Turkish government to admit responsibility for the slaughter of about 1.5 million people, said Ani Gharibyan of the Armenian Youth Federation.
"No one was there to accept our letters," she said. "They created some other holiday, something about saving the children, designed to avoid accepting our letter. They have done this every year."
More Armenians live in the Hollywood and Glendale areas than in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
April 24 is a solemn day for Armenians, marking the 92nd anniversary of the day orders were given to begin the first genocide of the 20th Century, Gharibyan said.
"Despite overwhelming evidence, the Republic of Turkey to this day wages a multimillion-dollar campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide," she said.
Some speakers during the rally said the United States and other countries have not wanted to recognize the genocide because of Turkey's geopolitical importance. Many other countries, however, have urged Turkey to admit the guilt of the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to the current Turkish Republic, in the genocide.
Other events planned for this week include a Youth Rally for Recognition Friday at the Pasadena Armenian Center and a blood drive Sunday at St. Mary's Church in Pasadena. More events can be found at this Web site.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
NBC News
LOS ANGELES -- Thousands of people denouncing the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1915 marched in Hollywood and rallied at the Turkish Consulate Tuesday, blocking some streets but remaining generally peaceful, officials said.
One group of protesters marched through Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard between Western and Normandie avenues around noon, and another group gathered at the Turkish Consulate at 6300 Wilshire Blvd. in the Miracle Mile area about 4 p.m.
Both protests were peaceful and no arrests were made, said Officer Karen Smith of the Los Angeles Police Department. Both rallies lasted about two hours.
Police estimated the crowds at about 1,500, but organizers said the numbers were closer to 7,000 people.
Numerous people spoke in front of the consulate, and some tried to deliver a letter to the staff of the Turkish consulate, calling on the Turkish government to admit responsibility for the slaughter of about 1.5 million people, said Ani Gharibyan of the Armenian Youth Federation.
"No one was there to accept our letters," she said. "They created some other holiday, something about saving the children, designed to avoid accepting our letter. They have done this every year."
More Armenians live in the Hollywood and Glendale areas than in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
April 24 is a solemn day for Armenians, marking the 92nd anniversary of the day orders were given to begin the first genocide of the 20th Century, Gharibyan said.
"Despite overwhelming evidence, the Republic of Turkey to this day wages a multimillion-dollar campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide," she said.
Some speakers during the rally said the United States and other countries have not wanted to recognize the genocide because of Turkey's geopolitical importance. Many other countries, however, have urged Turkey to admit the guilt of the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to the current Turkish Republic, in the genocide.
Other events planned for this week include a Youth Rally for Recognition Friday at the Pasadena Armenian Center and a blood drive Sunday at St. Mary's Church in Pasadena. More events can be found at this Web site.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Labels: Armenian Genocide Remembrance
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 9:44 AM
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