Armenians protest a century old grievance

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Vigils, marches and demonstrations commemorating the
1.5 million Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks more than a century ago will
continue today in the Southland.
This includes a 10 a.m. march in Little Armenia and a rally for Justice
outside the Turkish Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard.
On Saturday, a vigil was held outside Glendale City Hall and the United
Armenian Council of Los Angeles held a special observance at the Armenian
Genocide Martyrs Monument in Montebello.
Last Sunday, the 10th annual Walk to End Genocide was held in Mid-City
to raise funds for anti-genocide educational and advocacy efforts in the U.S.
and to support projects aiding survivors of the conflicts in Sudan and Congo.
Historians say the systemic slaughter of Armenians began on April 24,
1915 when Turkey’s Ottoman government rounded up and arrested 250 intellectuals
and community leaders in Constantinople.
What some consider the first genocide of the 20th Century continued
until 1923. But officials in modern Turkey deny there was ever a genocide. And
the United States government has been reluctant to use the word genocide to
describe the mass killings.
Today’s activities include:
— 10 a.m. – The Armenian Genocide Commemoration March, sponsored by
Unified Young Armenians, at the intersection of Hobart and Hollywood boulevards
in Little Armenia.
— 1 p.m. – The rally for Justice, sponsored by the Armenian Genocide
Committee, outside the Turkish Consulate, 6300 Wilshire Blvd.