CLERGYMEN TOOK PART IN PROTEST TOO
avaghq
24/11/09
Representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church and members of youth
organizations today held a march from the Republic Square to the
Georgian Embassy in Armenia with signs reading "No to white genocide",
"Javakhk is our homeland" "Aren’t you a Christian nation?"
More than thousand demonstrators were accompanied by tens of policemen,
but there were no incidents.
The protesters gathered in front of the Georgian Embassy were raising
their voices on the occasion of the collapse of the St. Gevorg of
Mughnetsi Church which was built in 1356 in Tbilisi. They stood
in front of the embassy for an hour, screaming "Give us back our
churches", "Shame" and more.
"Our demand is that the Georgian church and authorities grant the
Georgian Armenian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church a legal
status, return the Armenian churches, as well as respect and preserve
the cultural values of the Armenian people," as stated in the letter
to the Georgian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
"We are simply standing up for our rights. What is ours belongs to
the Armenian Church and we demand that the Georgian government accept
that and acknowledge our rights. There is lack of interest toward our
churches and the result of that was the destruction of our only church
in Georgia. This perhaps set an example for all Armenian Apostolic
Churches located in Georgia and there are worries that all churches
will have the same fate," Priest Yesaiah Artemyan told "A1+".
Some protesters were received by the Georgian Ambassador who promised
to transmit the letter to the highest Georgian authorities. He also
said that he was aware of the collapse of the church and that there
are agreements with the Ministry of Culture to restore the Armenian
Church early next year.
The youth left the Georgian Embassy with the promise to continue the
protests until their demands are met.