Armenian Americans to rally at Turkish Consulate, LA

April 24, 2010 - 15:45 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Thousands across California will gather at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 24, at 4pm to demonstrate for an end to Turkey's 95 year campaign of genocide denial and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States.

Organized by the Armenian Youth Federation, this year’s protest will come on the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and will converge with global expectations on both the U.S. House of Representatives and President Barack Obama to finally hold Turkey accountable for its crimes against the Armenian people.

Armenian Americans will protest against Turkey's effort to impose a gag-rule on the United States and show once again the resolve of the Armenian people in their struggle for justice, recognition and reparations.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.