The Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School and the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, in Encino and Canoga Park respectively, were vandalized overnight, in what police are calling a hate incident and a hate crime, after school officials reported Turkish flags hanging on campus.
After reviewing footage from security cameras, officials are reporting that at 4 a.m. Tuesday a man wearing a mask approached the Ferrahian campus and began hanging the flags on the fence facing White Oak Avenue and on the staircase railings inside the campus.
Police have been called at both campuses and are investigating.
Ferrahian school principal Sossi Shanlian assured parents that all precaution has been taken to ensure safety of the school.
“We would like to assure you that the school has taken precautions to ensure the safety of our students and authorities have been notified,” said a letter signed by Shanlian sent to parents posted to the school’s Facebook page.
Ferrahian students hung Armenian tri-colors throughout the campus, in reaction to the vandalism at their school.
Similarly, the administration of the Manoogian-Demirdjian school also sent a note to parents reporting that the Los Angeles Police Department has characterized the incident as a “hate incident,” adding that LAPD officers will be on campus on Wednesday during the regular student drop-off hours.
“We are confident that the school is safe, however, as a precautionary measure, we would like everyone to park off campus during afternoon pick up today,” said the letter from Manoogian-Demirdjian administration.
This is a developing story. Asbarez will have more details as they become available.
Let the US government know about this hate crime. Maybe they can put a travel ban to and from the Terrorist Islamic Republic of Turkey.
It would seem the way to catch the perpetrator is to see the license plate of his car on security video and/or if a fingerprint could be lifted from the area he placed the flags. The police have data bases that could supply a match very quickly. Short of that, we’ll see if we just get a lot of talk and no arrest.
The conventional wisdom here is that a crime was committed. At the very least, the crime of trespassing. It would be nice to see a name and face attached to an arrest, prosecution, and punishment…no matter how minimal or severe. We will see……..
No one was caught for a reason people. OPEN YOUR EYES the perp obviously knew how to get away clean. He knew where to park to not have his car seen in the cameras, he knew to where a mask, and he knew when to come to campus to have enough time to put up the flags. Sounds like a false flag op to me, if not why do they not have the perp. Remember there was no violence involved. As we all dwell on a couple flags being put around a school, America is bombing innocent people, Israel supported by your tax dollars is shooting kids in the head but we all forget the present and dwell on the past. Instead try to prevent the genocide currently happening.
Although you conveniently forgot about the lack of gloves in the video. Anyway, your deflection of the issue says a lot. Comparing apples to oranges is never a winning argument. Better to stick to your raki…..aptal !
You say and I quote: “…but we all forget the present and dwell on the past. Instead try to prevent the genocide currently happening.” Well, if the well-documented Armenian Genocide of 1915, one of the first genocides of the 20th century, with eye-witness accounts was formally recognized by the international community, instead of playing politics, and genocidal Turkey was brought to justice THEN it is highly likely all the genocides that followed would not have happened. Therefore, if justice was served to the Armenian nation which lost 1,500,000 defenseless and innocent civilians AND 90% of Armenian ancestral homeland as a result, we would not have to “dwell” in the past and many mass exterminations, massacres, criminal activities and genocides happening today could have been prevented!
I am praying for everyone at the school. May God watch over each & every one of the children and staff. I’m really happy that the Armenian flags were displayed after this terrible incident.
I am a Ferrahian High School graduate. I graduated 1973 and my Principle was Mr. Injejikian who found the shcool…It was Mr. and Mrs. Ferrahian’s home that they donated to the Armenians for our first Armenian High School…THESE ARE BAD TIMES, PLEASE TAKE ALL THE CAUSATION YOU NEED TO, PERHAPS ARMED GUARDS….THE TURKISH FLAGS ARE A WARNING…THIS IS SERIOUS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL…
If all they can do is hang flags we should be ok.
Hopefully one day we can find some peace they make it impossible is the problem..
Why were these images of the vandalism thoughtlessly shared with the media? They’ve now been spread all over the internet and will be cached. Going forth anytime the names of these schools are searched on the internet these images of the Turkish flags on our institutions will turn up. Why give the vile acts of a vandal that eternal exposure. Not smart.
You see Armenian people around the world , this is the sign to all Armenians people around the world , this action take so far ( I am just hinting that is work of azeri and/or turkish ) should be punish by Armenians because Armenian Genocide is still continues today. See Armenian New Goverment Leaders voice. NONE. Beside waiting American justice , our leaders should rise their voices , demand justice on this matter and more other demands that up today was ignored by east , west , england. Mainly our land demands , we are demanding some other nations lands we are demanding our rightly lands back up us , that given away by foreign powers to our enemies , how long Armenian nation is going to wait take our demands meet. If we do not act on legal demands from our enemy turks and azeris , tomorrow maybe too late. GET UP YOUR COMFORT fight for rights……………………………ARMENIA. Land of NOAH’s , HAIG Nahabed , grandkids of URARTIAN’s.
What do you expect from barbarians and vandals like Turks. Their only contribution to the world culture is crime and destruction
At first look, this seems like an isolated random criminal act by a brainwashed Turkish coward. A racist act by someone who has hate in his heart for our people. Someone who, for some unexplained reason, is displeased with the steadfast and continued progress in our Armenian communities. Someone who can’t stand to see all the dedication shown by our people toward not just maintaining their identity on foreign soil but also teaching the future generations of Armenians about Turkish crimes committed against their grand and great-grandparents. At a second closer look, one can’t help but to think that this is not a lone random act but an organized one. I personally think this is an anti-Armenian move planned by pseudo-Turkish homeless Tatar Azerbaijanis in collaboration with their Central Asian Turkish step cousins but disguised as a Turkish act by the display of the blood-soaked genocidal Turkish flag and not the flag of artificial Azerbaijan. Unable to digest Armenian victories in the homeland, as well as abroad, they are trying to disrupt Armenian lives. Where else to conduct such a hateful act than in an Armenian learning institution that in many ways symbolizes the Armenian identity?
I think all Armenian institutions need to be vigilant and to increase camera surveillance and have community policing as well. Hateful Turkish scums are a bunch of opportunistic and devious hyenas that need to be trapped cold on the spot in their criminal trail. In any event, those responsible should be identified and brought to justice the American way and I’m sure they will do time for their racist act. But full justice won’t be served until they are dealt with Turkish style!
The Barbarian will remain always a barbarian, that’s in his DNA, his ID, even if his name starts with TUR.
How shocking and depressing! This sort of extremism is happening in so many countries now, including the United Kingdom, although the hatred in the UK is directed mainly towards Jews and Muslims, not Armenians – yet! In fact, the flames of racial hatred have been fanned by the ridiculous and damaging “Brexit” process that is currently ravaging our country and all “foreigners” are beginning to feel uncomfortable here. It is deplorable and should be resisted in every way.