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THOUSANDS MARCH DOWNTOWN TO MARK 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
CP24, Ontario, Canada
April 19 2015
Joshua Freeman, CP24.com
Published Sunday, April 19, 2015 7:08PM EDT
Thousands of people took part in a commemoration ceremony at Queen's
Park Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
The march started at Queen's park and ended with a service at the
Metropolitan United Church led by Cardinal Thomas Collins.
The Queen's Park rally was attended by a number of officials from
all levels of government, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, Defence
Minister Jason Kenney and Mayor John Tory.
"This anniversary is a powerful reminder of the need to remain vigilant
in upholding the dignity and equality of each and every one of us as
human beings," Wynne said. "It reminds us that we must continue to
stand up against hatred. We must continue to work together to ensure
that the atrocities of the past are never repeated. "
Tory struck a similar note in his remarks, telling the crowd that
the milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the past and to make
sure that it is never repeated.
"We, your fellow citizens here in Toronto - it's been spoken about
on behalf of all of the rest of Canada as well - have not forgotten
the genocide and the victims of this tragedy," Tory said.
As many as 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have been slaughtered
at the hands of Ottoman forces starting in 1915.
Canada officially recognized the massacre as a genocide in 2004.
However its recognition has been a contentious issue around the world
because the Turkish government has staunchly refused to recognize
the events as genocide.
Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan also spoke at the rally and
said he's heartened to see so much public support for the Armenian
community and recognition of its history, despite the Turkish
government's opposition.
"It was a historic moment, I'm just so thrilled" Egoyan told CP24
after the rally. "Since I came to Toronto 33 years ago I've been
dreaming of this moment and it's just so great."
He said the genocide is a "textbook case of what happens when justice
is not adhered to" and that its lessons ring true for all cultures.
"Today's message is really about solidarity with all victims of
genocide, for all races and cultures that have actually experienced
this type of ethnic hatred and violence," Egoyan said.
He said he was pleased to see a variety of cultural groups coming
out to mark the anniversary.
"In our case in terms of the Armenians, it's also about dealing with
this question of denial, denial of the perpetrator," he said. "We
are really dealing with a situation where 100 years later the Turkish
state is still actively denying."
Police said approximately 5,000 people attended the march.
http://www.cp24.com/news/thousands-march-downtown-to-mark-100th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide-1.2334928
From: Baghdasarian
CP24, Ontario, Canada
April 19 2015
Joshua Freeman, CP24.com
Published Sunday, April 19, 2015 7:08PM EDT
Thousands of people took part in a commemoration ceremony at Queen's
Park Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
The march started at Queen's park and ended with a service at the
Metropolitan United Church led by Cardinal Thomas Collins.
The Queen's Park rally was attended by a number of officials from
all levels of government, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, Defence
Minister Jason Kenney and Mayor John Tory.
"This anniversary is a powerful reminder of the need to remain vigilant
in upholding the dignity and equality of each and every one of us as
human beings," Wynne said. "It reminds us that we must continue to
stand up against hatred. We must continue to work together to ensure
that the atrocities of the past are never repeated. "
Tory struck a similar note in his remarks, telling the crowd that
the milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the past and to make
sure that it is never repeated.
"We, your fellow citizens here in Toronto - it's been spoken about
on behalf of all of the rest of Canada as well - have not forgotten
the genocide and the victims of this tragedy," Tory said.
As many as 1.5 million Armenians are believed to have been slaughtered
at the hands of Ottoman forces starting in 1915.
Canada officially recognized the massacre as a genocide in 2004.
However its recognition has been a contentious issue around the world
because the Turkish government has staunchly refused to recognize
the events as genocide.
Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan also spoke at the rally and
said he's heartened to see so much public support for the Armenian
community and recognition of its history, despite the Turkish
government's opposition.
"It was a historic moment, I'm just so thrilled" Egoyan told CP24
after the rally. "Since I came to Toronto 33 years ago I've been
dreaming of this moment and it's just so great."
He said the genocide is a "textbook case of what happens when justice
is not adhered to" and that its lessons ring true for all cultures.
"Today's message is really about solidarity with all victims of
genocide, for all races and cultures that have actually experienced
this type of ethnic hatred and violence," Egoyan said.
He said he was pleased to see a variety of cultural groups coming
out to mark the anniversary.
"In our case in terms of the Armenians, it's also about dealing with
this question of denial, denial of the perpetrator," he said. "We
are really dealing with a situation where 100 years later the Turkish
state is still actively denying."
Police said approximately 5,000 people attended the march.
http://www.cp24.com/news/thousands-march-downtown-to-mark-100th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide-1.2334928
From: Baghdasarian