TURKS’ DEMONSTRATION IN LYONS NOT TURN INTO DISORDERS ONLY OWING TO INTERFERENCE OF LEGAL BODIES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 21 2006

LYONS, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Getting the
agreement of the Lyons Mayor’s Office, Turkish organizations held a
demonstration in the city on March 18, officially formulating that
as an action directed against contsructing the monument to the 1915
Armenian Genocide victims. But, as Noyan Tapan was informed by the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun “Nor Seround” youth union, it became clear just at the
beginning of the demontration that it pursues just another goal, to
insist that “Armenians are liars, and the victims are Turks.” Starting
just from this moment, the “Nor Seround” union started a spontaneous
responding action. The by-passers joined the small group of “Nor
Seround,” exclaiming: “Not to Fascism, Yes to History.” Young people
representing most different nations and political movements expressed
their solidarity to heirs of the Armenian Genocide victims. “We
must ask ourselves a question about the real inspirators of Turks’
gathering,” Tade Karapetian, the head of the ARF “Nor Seround” union
stated. “This event coincides in a strange way with strengthening
of the betrayal mission in Europe which is financed by the Turkish
state,” he emphasized. It’s mentioned in the information of the ARF
“Nor Seround” union that the Mayor’s Office endowed the demonstration,
in spite of alarms expressed by the union. Those alarms were justified
as the demonstration participants headed by an extreme grouping,
meeting participants of the peaceful anti-demonstration on their way,
provoked red-tapes which weren’t continued only after the legal bodies’
interference. “It’s intolerable that the French state <…> allows
holding of a betrayal and Fascist demonstration in its heart. Did
France forget that it has recognized the Armenian Genocide?” Armen
Serobian, the “Nor Seround” union speaker stated. He emphasized that
only the inhabitants of Lyons who come to oppose such a gathering
reminded that democratic values are still secured in France.