Thousands of Armenians encircle mountain in historic celebratory dance

AP Worldstream
May 28, 2005

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians joined hands to encircle the tiny
Caucasus nation’s highest mountain Saturday, in a dance of unity to
celebrate the country’s founding and other historic events.

Officials say more than 150,000 people danced for about 15 minutes in
a massive, 165-kilometer (100-mile) circle along the roads surrounding
Mount Aragats, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of the capital,
Yerevan.

Participants _ many of whom wore orange-colored caps, one of the
colors of the country’s flag _ applauded as air force fighter jets
flew overhead.

The dance marks, among other events, the anniversary of the founding
of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918 and the 90th anniversary of
the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire.

Armenians and many historians say nearly 1.5 million Armenians died in
the killings, which they say was a deliberate campaign of genocide.

Turkey has acknowledged many Armenians died in the events that began
in April 1915, but denies genocide was committed.