ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF SYDNEY HOLDS PROTEST ACTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
April 19, 2010 – 15:54 AMT 10:54 GMT
Australian national television networks Channel 7 and SBS, along with
national radio networks, the ABC, Triple J and SBS covered the Sydney
Armenian community’s protest against Turkey’s denial of the Armenian
Genocide at the NSW Turkish Consulate on Sunday, the Armenian National
Committee of Australia told PanARMENIAN.Net
The protest of over 500 Armenians, which also drew 100 members of
the Sydney Turkish community, was on the eve of Armenian Genocide
commemoration week, which marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide, which saw 1.5 million Christian Armenian civilians living
inside Ottoman Turkey murdered in a coordinated attempt to exterminate
the Armenian race.
Kevork Tufenkjian of the organizing Armenian Youth Federation of
Australia said: "Despite over 20 legislatures around the world,
including the governments of New South Wales and South Australia,
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has failed to do so, and
holds on to 90% of land that is historically Armenia’s." Armenians,
joined by Sydney Assyrians and Sydney Greeks, chanted "1915 Never
Again", "Turkey Is Guilty, Turkey Must Pay", "We Want Justice",
"Turkey Denies, Turkey Lies" and "Genocide Is Fact".
Nearly 100 Police were in attendance to stop the crowd of Turks from
clashing with the Armenian protestors.