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ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION OF CANADA
45 HALLCROWN PLACE
TORONTO, ON M2J 4Y4
PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011
CONTACT: Harout Manougian
PHONE: 416-988-3535
EMAIL: [email protected]
Demonstration at Turkish Consulate of Toronto
TORONTO - A group of 8 Canadian-Armenians ended a 72 hour hunger strike
in front of the Turkish Consulate of Toronto today, organized by the
Armenian Youth Federation of Canada. In light of the upcoming general
elections in Turkey, the demonstrators protested the ongoing human rights
abuses carried out by the Government of Turkey, including the denial of the
Armenian Genocide, the stifling of freedom of speech and press, the ongoing
occupation of Cyprus, and the oppression of its minorities.
The hunger strike culminated with an official demonstration, held Monday,
June 13, 2011 at 2:00pm in front of the Turkish Consulate of Toronto. The
demonstrators sent a strong message to the newly elected officials in Turkey
that Canadians and the international community at large will not remain
silent bystanders as the Turkish government deprives its citizens of their
basic human rights and continues its denial campaign against the memory of
the Armenian Genocide.
Unfortunately, the peaceful protest was met with a counter-protest by a
group of Turks, who aimed to disrupt the demonstration and silence its
message. Disrespecting the Canadian flag by holding it upside-down, they
resorted to racist slurs, calling Armenians `terrorists', and `baby
killers'. They held signs that read `proud nation, proud history' sending an
ominous message that they felt no remorse for the massacres of the Ottoman
government, or sympathy towards its victims. Although deeply troubled, the
Armenian demonstrators avoided any confrontation, as that seemed to be the
goal of the instigators.
A day earlier, the participants of the hunger strike held a candlelight
vigil in memory of the one and a half million martyrs of the Armenian
Genocide as well as hundreds of thousands of Christian Assyrians and Pontian
Greeks. It is troubling that even during their prayers, led by Very Reverend
Father Meghrig Parikian of St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto,
a smaller group of men and women holding Turkish flags continued to hurl
insults aimed at those collected.
Ninety six years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide
of the 20th century. The genocide has been recognized by countless
historians including the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and
numerous countries including Canada, yet it is constantly denied by the
successive governments of Turkey.
A movement to recognize the Armenian Genocide has started in the Turkish
Republic, led by outspoken scholars and authors such as Orhan Pamuk, Hall
Berktak and Ragip Zarakolu. Unfortunately, Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code allows the government to lay charges against these journalists and
authors, threatening them with jail terms. Nevertheless, this April, for the
second year in a row, major cities in Turkey witnessed public events
commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
Mark Piliguian, one of the participants of the hunger strike, expressed,`We
understand that many of those trying to disrupt our message today grew up in
Turkey where they could not learn about the dark chapters of Ottoman
history. But we hope that now that they live in Canada, they take the
initiative to pull off the blindfold that their government tries to
maintain.'
##
PHOTO CAPTIONS
1.jpg: Canadian-Armenians protesting the ongoing violations of human rights
in Turkey
2.jpg: Canadian-Armenian protesters sending a strong message to the newly
elected Turkish government
3.jpg: Turkish counter-protesters disrespecting the Canadian flag
45 HALLCROWN PLACE
TORONTO, ON M2J 4Y4
PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011
CONTACT: Harout Manougian
PHONE: 416-988-3535
EMAIL: [email protected]
Demonstration at Turkish Consulate of Toronto
TORONTO - A group of 8 Canadian-Armenians ended a 72 hour hunger strike
in front of the Turkish Consulate of Toronto today, organized by the
Armenian Youth Federation of Canada. In light of the upcoming general
elections in Turkey, the demonstrators protested the ongoing human rights
abuses carried out by the Government of Turkey, including the denial of the
Armenian Genocide, the stifling of freedom of speech and press, the ongoing
occupation of Cyprus, and the oppression of its minorities.
The hunger strike culminated with an official demonstration, held Monday,
June 13, 2011 at 2:00pm in front of the Turkish Consulate of Toronto. The
demonstrators sent a strong message to the newly elected officials in Turkey
that Canadians and the international community at large will not remain
silent bystanders as the Turkish government deprives its citizens of their
basic human rights and continues its denial campaign against the memory of
the Armenian Genocide.
Unfortunately, the peaceful protest was met with a counter-protest by a
group of Turks, who aimed to disrupt the demonstration and silence its
message. Disrespecting the Canadian flag by holding it upside-down, they
resorted to racist slurs, calling Armenians `terrorists', and `baby
killers'. They held signs that read `proud nation, proud history' sending an
ominous message that they felt no remorse for the massacres of the Ottoman
government, or sympathy towards its victims. Although deeply troubled, the
Armenian demonstrators avoided any confrontation, as that seemed to be the
goal of the instigators.
A day earlier, the participants of the hunger strike held a candlelight
vigil in memory of the one and a half million martyrs of the Armenian
Genocide as well as hundreds of thousands of Christian Assyrians and Pontian
Greeks. It is troubling that even during their prayers, led by Very Reverend
Father Meghrig Parikian of St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto,
a smaller group of men and women holding Turkish flags continued to hurl
insults aimed at those collected.
Ninety six years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide
of the 20th century. The genocide has been recognized by countless
historians including the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and
numerous countries including Canada, yet it is constantly denied by the
successive governments of Turkey.
A movement to recognize the Armenian Genocide has started in the Turkish
Republic, led by outspoken scholars and authors such as Orhan Pamuk, Hall
Berktak and Ragip Zarakolu. Unfortunately, Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code allows the government to lay charges against these journalists and
authors, threatening them with jail terms. Nevertheless, this April, for the
second year in a row, major cities in Turkey witnessed public events
commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
Mark Piliguian, one of the participants of the hunger strike, expressed,`We
understand that many of those trying to disrupt our message today grew up in
Turkey where they could not learn about the dark chapters of Ottoman
history. But we hope that now that they live in Canada, they take the
initiative to pull off the blindfold that their government tries to
maintain.'
##
PHOTO CAPTIONS
1.jpg: Canadian-Armenians protesting the ongoing violations of human rights
in Turkey
2.jpg: Canadian-Armenian protesters sending a strong message to the newly
elected Turkish government
3.jpg: Turkish counter-protesters disrespecting the Canadian flag