LONDON ARMENIAN COMMUNITY COMMEMORATES 95th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Over the course of ten days leading to the weekend of 24th/25th April,
numerous commemorative events took place starting with the Dedication
of anm Apricot Tree in Ealing in Remembrance of the Victims of the
Genocide. The Commemorative events included a Vigil outside the
Turkish Embassy on the evening of Friday 23rd April.
On the 24th a Remembrance March was held in the London West End. The
March, which was very well attended by over 1500 marchers, commenced
at Bayswater, and proceeded past the Marble Arch, Park Lane,
Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and ended at the
Cenotaph on Whitehall.
The procession was led by the the Primate of the Armenian Church of
the United Kingdom, the Right Reverend Vahan Hovhanessian and members
of the Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain and
staff of the Armenian Embassy.
Prior to the start of the procession, the marchers were addressed by
Mr Stephen Pound (MP) and Labour candidate for re-election to
Parliament and by Mr Bassam Mahfouz also a Labour Candidate for
election to Parliament. Both gentlemen joined the march for a brief
period before departing to carry on their election campaigns. The
Armenian community is grateful to Mr Pound and to Mr Mahfouz for
attending at such a busy time immediately prior to the Parliamentary
elections. Also present was Ara Iskenderian who is standing for
election as a Labour Councillor in the Borough of Ealing.
At the Cenotaph the Armenian Ambassador also joined the procession and
a brief Remembrance Ceremony took place and wreaths were laid by the
Rt Rev Vahan Hovhanessian, the Armenian Ambassador, Dr Vahe Gabrielyan
and the Chairman of the Armenian Community and Church Council, Mr Ara
Palamoudian.
After the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph, a Petition was
presented for the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Stree.
On the evening of Saturday 24th April, a Hokehankist Service was held
at St Sarkis Church in front on the the Memorial for the Victims of
the Genocide which is situated in the grounds of the church.
On Sunday 25th April, a Requiem Mass was served at the St Yeghiche
Church followed by Hokehankist at the Khatchkar outside the church in
memory of the Genocide, and on the same evening a Commemorative
evening was held, organised by the ACCC’s Commemoration Committee,
which comprised a concert and messages by the Armenian Ambassador, the
Primate, CRAG and the Armenian Community and Church Council of Great
Britain.