L.A. Armenian Community Protests as Regional Tensions Rise
Armenian flags and chants for justice filled the air in Beverly Hills on Oct. 11, as an estimated 100,000 pro-Armenia demonstrators “Marched for Victory.” They started in Pan Pacific Park and ended outside of the Turkish consulate in Beverly Hills.
The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) invited “all those who stand against Azeri and Turkish aggression to voice their demands.”
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in an ongoing conflict for decades, with the latest violent clash beginning on Sept. 27. Reports are ambiguous regarding who attacked first, but hundreds have been killed in the weeks since.
The war centers around the highly disputed Republic of Artsakh, formerly known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The territory belongs to Azerbaijan under international law; however, Armenian governs and financially supports the region. Armenians also make up the vast majority of the region’s population and surrounding territory.
Ofelia Seropyan participated in the protests to shine a light on what she called a “modern-day genocide” currently happening in Artsakh against Armenians. She says Western media has done a poor job covering the conflict.
Demonstrator Helen Ohannessian spent most of the day chanting through a megaphone. She, too, feels that the conflict has been underreported and incorrectly conveyed.
“ We need international attention on this humanitarian crisis,” Ohannessian said. “These are our folks...that are dying out there on the field. So we need everyone to wake up.”
Turkey’s outspoken support for Azerbaijan is heightening Armenian anger. The Turkish government continues to deny the existence of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in the early 1900s and led to the expulsion and mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey and adjoining regions.
Southern California is home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia or Moscow. The Trump Administration has yet to directly condemn the war.
