MORE THAN 10,000 PROTEST ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS
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Sep 28th, 2009
GLENDALE-The Southern California Armenian community came together
Sunday evening at Pelanconi Park to express its unified and unequivocal
opposition to the Turkey-Armenia protocols and, with more than 10,000
people, sent a message to Yerevan that conceding to Turkish pressure
was unacceptable.
They came in droves. On foot; with buses, and by car to join in
the protest rally organized the Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party,
Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization-Ramkavar Party, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation and the Unified Young Armenians.
Chanting "No Concessions to Turkey" and "No to Protocols," the
crowd overwhelmingly cheered calls to put an end to the process,
which sets unacceptable preconditions on Armenia and, if enacted,
would endanger Armenia’s national security and halt the aspirations
of future generations of Armenians.
The mood of the crowd was decisive. As the deficiencies and dangers of
the protocols were articulated by the slate of speakers, the crowd’s
calls on the government to take appropriate action grew louder and
more resolute.
Opening remarks were made by Melina Mayilyan in Armenian and Caspar
Jivalagian in English after which representatives of each political
party and organization made their statements to the crowd.
Aroutin Haroutunyan spoke on behalf of the UYA, Harout Der Tavidian
presented remarks on behalf of the Hunchakian party, Minas Kojayan
presented the Ramkavar party’s message and Avedik Izmirlian presented
the message on behalf of the ARF.
The keynote speaker, Harut Sassounian, outlined the protocols’
dangerous points and urged the authorities to be more prudent in
their efforts to normalize relations.
Also speaking were Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian and Hovik
Zirakyan.
In closing Hovan Tashjian, on behalf of the organizing committee,
rallied the crowd to, once again, express its opposition to the
protocols and read out loud a resolution on behalf of the participants
of the protest rally [See Resolution]. The crowd’s loud roar indicated
its approval of the resolution, which among other provisions called
for an immediate end to the rapprochement process under the current
stipulations.
Another resolution-read in English by Jivalagian and in Armenian by
Mayilyan-called on Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee
of Foreign Relations, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Adam Schiff
and George Radanovich to immediately schedule a vote on H. Res. 252,
the Armenian Genocide Resolution pending in Congress.
"We, the over ten thousand Americans of Armenian descent, gathered
at this political rally on September 27, 2009, at Pelanconi Park,
in Glendale, California, make this call for immediate action by the
U.S. Congress on the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution,"
read the resolution.
"We call upon our friend, Congressman Howard Berman, the Chairman
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to immediately set a date,
in the coming weeks, for a vote of his panel on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, H.Res.252," the resolution emphasized.
"We encourage all the members of the powerful California Congressional
delegation, most notably Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Berman, and the
lead authors of this legislation, Adam Schiff and George Radanovich,
to ensure that this genocide-prevention measure is adopted by the
full U.S. House of Representatives," concluded the resolution, which
was unanimously adopted by the protest participants.
At the conclusion of the rally, singers Armen Movsesian and Razmik
Mansourian performed patriotic songs to further highlight the crowd’s
resolute stance on the matter. At the beginning of the program,
Narine Ojakhyan performed the US and Armenian national anthems.