October 12, 2020 - 11:01 AMT
100,000 march through Los Angeles to support Armenians in Karabakh

A Pro-Armenia rally held on Sunday, October 11 in response to Azerbaijan's aggression against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh drew up to 100,000 attendees, the LAPD estimated.

The “Artsakh Under Attack: March for Victory” began at Pan Pacific Park and concluded at the Turkish Consulate in Beverly Hills.

“We stand with our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh and the diaspora in L.A.,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter. “We welcome the ceasefire and it must be respected. We need our national leadership to step up and help bring peace to the region. Turkey must disengage.”

Los Angeles County is home to the largest Armenian diaspora in the United States. Armenian Americans have been holding protests and demonstrations throughout the L.A. area to bring attention to the ongoing conflict and Azerbaijan's aggression.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages, as well as the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Before a humanitarian ceasefire could begin on October 10, Azerbaijan launched a new offensive and struck settlements both in Karabakh and Armenia.