STUDENTS DEMAND LEGAL STATUS FOR ARMENIAN CHURCH IN GEORGIA: PROTEST AT GEORGIAN EMBASSY

Tert
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

Students from various higher educational institutions in Yerevan
organized a protest demo in Republic Square demanding the Georgian
authorities and the Georgian church to designate legal status to the
Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese in Georgia, to return Armenian
churches, and to respect and protect the cultural values of the
Armenian people.

>>From Republic Square, the students, along with some members of
the clergy, marched to the Georgian Embassy in Armenia. Three youth
submitted a letter to the Georgian ambassador that was addressed to
the Georgian governing leadership and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The letter, in part, stated:

"We, the participants of this protest, children of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, members of different organizations raise our voices
in protest of the destruction of St. Gevorg Church of Mughnetsi,
constructed in Tbilisi in 1356."

There is also concern noted in the letter that the efforts of the
Armenian side didn’t lead to results, and the designation of legal
status to the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese in Georgia and the
return of historic Armenian churches in Tbilisi to the Diocese didn’t
get resolved through dialogue and mutual agreement.

While some of the students were submitting their letter, the youth
carrying flags and posters in front of the Georgian Embassy were
chanting "No White Genocide," "We demand," and so on.

During the demonstration, numerous police officers were making sure
order was maintained. They didn’t hinder the youth rally.

Coming out of the embassy, the youth told demo participants that
the ambassador promised to pass the letter on to Georgia’s governing
authorities personally.

The students also stated they will be sending a similar letter to
the United Nations.