CLAIRE ZUGMEYER About 50 students gather at Meyerhoff
Park, Monday, to protest the fact that not every country recognizes
the Armenian genocide. The United States is among those
countries.
By Andrew Edwards
Daily Bruin Contributor
Wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogans “End
Crimes Against Humanity” and “Genocide: Never
Again,” 40 to 50 members of the Armenian Student Association
and Armenian Graduate Students Association rallied yesterday in
Meyerhoff Park to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide.
Yesterday’s event was part of three days of
demonstrations, including a silent march today and a larger
demonstration in Hollywood tomorrow.
In a policy of ethnic cleansing that began on April 24, 1915,
according to Armenian claims, 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
the Ottoman Empire. Many nations have acknowledged that a genocide
of Armenians occurred, though Turkey’s official position is
that only 600,000 Armenians were killed along with 2.5 million
Ottomans in civil wars during the dying days of the Ottoman
Empire.
One of the dead was a family member of Father Vazgs of St.
Gregory’s Church in Pasadena who related how his grandmother
buried her child in Syrian sands during a forced removal.
During his speech, Vazgs proclaimed that Armenians “will
never rest until the government of Turkey admits its
crimes.”
Afterwards, Vazgs said acknowledgement would naturally be
followed by addressing the question of retribution, and that
although retribution on such a large scale would be difficult, the
onus is on Turkey, not the Armenians.
As Vazgs and members of the Armenian Student Association spoke
from the podium, others held up signs reading “We Will Never
Forget” and “We Seek Justice.”
One sign bore the flags of the United States and Armenia. The
message “United We Stand,” was displayed despite the
fact that the government of the United States, unlike those of
other nations, including Israel, France and Canada, has not
formally acknowledged the genocide.
Although Turkey’s Los Angeles consulate could not be
reached for comment, the Web site of Turkey’s embassy in
Washington says that genocide did not occur in 1915.
In a telephone interview, Consul-General of Armenia Valery
Mktournian said the current policy of the Armenian government is to
seek formal acknowledgment worldwide, stressing that it is a duty
of all “progressive states.”
He contended that acknowledgement by the United States would not
harm U.S. relations with Turkey. Concerns for U.S.-Turkish
relations are commonly cited as the primary reasons the United
States has not made a formal acknowledgement of genocide.
Eiperyl Sievers, a third-year political science student, said
prior to yesterday, she was unaware of the genocide, but she plans
to learn more.
Ani Matthewson, a third-year English student, announced her
intentions to join Armenians in a march planned tomorrow in the
Little Armenia district of Hollywood after witnessing the
demonstration.
Professor of Armenian Literature Peter Cowe emphasized the
importance of knowledge.
“Once they become better informed they can become involved
in activity to right this wrong,” Cowe said.