Armenian community of Sydney holds protest action

PanARMENIAN.Net - Australian national television networks Channel 7 and SBS, along with national radio networks, the ABC, Triple J and SBS covered the Sydney Armenian community's protest against Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide at the NSW Turkish Consulate on Sunday, the Armenian National Committee of Australia told PanARMENIAN.Net

The protest of over 500 Armenians, which also drew 100 members of the Sydney Turkish community, was on the eve of Armenian Genocide commemoration week, which marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which saw 1.5 million Christian Armenian civilians living inside Ottoman Turkey murdered in a coordinated attempt to exterminate the Armenian race.

Kevork Tufenkjian of the organizing Armenian Youth Federation of Australia said: "Despite over 20 legislatures around the world, including the governments of New South Wales and South Australia, recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has failed to do so, and holds on to 90% of land that is historically Armenia's." Armenians, joined by Sydney Assyrians and Sydney Greeks, chanted "1915 Never Again", "Turkey Is Guilty, Turkey Must Pay", "We Want Justice", "Turkey Denies, Turkey Lies" and "Genocide Is Fact".

Nearly 100 Police were in attendance to stop the crowd of Turks from clashing with the Armenian protestors.