[smooth=id:2;]
GLENDALE—The Southern California Armenian community came together Sunday evening at Pelanconi Park to express its unified and unequivocal opposition to the Turkey-Armenia protocols and, with more than 10,000 people, sent a message to Yerevan that conceding to Turkish pressure was unacceptable.
They came in droves. On foot; with buses, and by car to join in the protest rally organized the Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party, Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization-Ramkavar Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Unified Young Armenians.
Chanting “No Concessions to Turkey” and “No to Protocols,” the crowd overwhelmingly cheered calls to put an end to the process, which sets unacceptable preconditions on Armenia and, if enacted, would endanger Armenia’s national security and halt the aspirations of future generations of Armenians.
The mood of the crowd was decisive. As the deficiencies and dangers of the protocols were articulated by the slate of speakers, the crowd’s calls on the government to take appropriate action grew louder and more resolute.
Opening remarks were made by Melina Mayilyan in Armenian and Caspar Jivalagian in English after which representatives of each political party and organization made their statements to the crowd.
Aroutin Haroutunyan spoke on behalf of the UYA, Harout Der Tavidian presented remarks on behalf of the Hunchakian party, Minas Kojayan presented the Ramkavar party’s message and Avedik Izmirlian presented the message on behalf of the ARF.
The keynote speaker, Harut Sassounian, outlined the protocols’ dangerous points and urged the authorities to be more prudent in their efforts to normalize relations.
Also speaking were Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian and Hovik Zirakyan.
In closing Hovan Tashjian, on behalf of the organizing committee, rallied the crowd to, once again, express its opposition to the protocols and read out loud a resolution on behalf of the participants of the protest rally [See Resolution]. The crowd’s loud roar indicated its approval of the resolution, which among other provisions called for an immediate end to the rapprochement process under the current stipulations.
Another resolution–read in English by Jivalagian and in Armenian by Mayilyan–called on Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee of Foreign Relations, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Adam Schiff and George Radanovich to immediately schedule a vote on H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide Resolution pending in Congress.
“We, the over ten thousand Americans of Armenian descent, gathered at this political rally on September 27, 2009, at Pelanconi Park, in Glendale, California, make this call for immediate action by the U.S. Congress on the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution,” read the resolution.
“We call upon our friend, Congressman Howard Berman, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to immediately set a date, in the coming weeks, for a vote of his panel on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252,” the resolution emphasized.
“We encourage all the members of the powerful California Congressional delegation, most notably Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Berman, and the lead authors of this legislation, Adam Schiff and George Radanovich, to ensure that this genocide-prevention measure is adopted by the full U.S. House of Representatives,” concluded the resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the protest participants.
At the conclusion of the rally, singers Armen Movsesian and Razmik Mansourian performed patriotic songs to further highlight the crowd’s resolute stance on the matter. At the beginning of the program, Narine Ojakhyan performed the US and Armenian national anthems.
In defiance of Serz Sargissyan, the Armenian soccer team must not travel to Turkey and must not play the game. If the traitor Serz Sargissyan wants to go to Turkey he must take Eduard Nalbandyan along and stay in Turkey forever. Armenia does not need these two bastard traitors to represent Armenia.Enough is enough!
Impeach Serzh Sargissyan-he is an impostor and a traitor.
Our voice can be heard more effectively and forcefully if we travel to Armenian at least 5000 of us and join to our brothers and sisters of Aremnia.
Our political organizations are obligated to take any measure possible to show their oppositions to these protocols.
We can raise funds and find volunteers that are willing to travel to Armenia.
I willing to donate $2000.00 for this cause.
papkenhartunian@gmail.com
Looking at the concerned faces of these great personalities, who have Armenian heart and feelings, Armenia Mind and thinking, I believe WE will not perish.
jeshmarid@yahoo.com
Wake up! Call for impeachment and resignation of Serzh Sargsyan. Tommorow is too late. Wake up!
Call for immediate resignation of Serzh Sargsyan. He is an impostor and a traitor. His name along another traitor LevonTer Petrosian will appear in the dark pages of Armenian history.
Sadly don’t ever expect anything positive to happen on his visit to the diapora,its just a show a farce in order to be able to say he visited and listened to the concern of the diaspora which happens to be over 7 million a clear majority, he has already made up his mind to sign the protocols.… Under the leadership of Serzh Sarkisian,it will be all negative as he will sooner or later sell Armenia and Artsakh down the river, he is totally untrustworthy,slippery,and has no diplomatic skills, all he is interested is to save his own skin and stay in power after the scandalous, murderous, and fraudulent presidential elections last year, he has no legitimacy left in the eyes of the majority of the Armenian nation, I am not even mentioning the rampant corruption in his
administration, or the high profile numerous unsolved murders, which leads me to believe that the contract killers orders were given within government circles. He has to do what he is told by his foreign masters
as they hold his dirty dossier on him which makes dismal reading, remember April 22 statement on the so called road map, by the way Levon Ter Petrossian wont be any better either,Serzh is the continuation of LTP.
He needs to go and go fast if we want to save Armenia and Artsakh,therefor all healthy Armenian parties must work together in order to get rid of this spent man.
We all had enough of this traitor and his corrupt cronies.
Mihran Keheyian
I read all 6 response, and I am in agreement with all 6 of them let’s call for impeachement and resignation of Serzh Sargsyan ASAP and deportation………neither him or Nalbandian deserve another day of living on that sacred land…..
Sezh how proud is your family of your plots
NO NO NO NO PROTOCOL
I second ,or third or X-th everybody who says Sarksyanoghlu should be IMPEACHED!!!!!!!!!!!
AZGAYIN ARJANAPATVUTYUNE EV IRAVUNKNERE TZAKHU CHENNN!!!
” Togh Turkio yev Hayasdani ishkhanutyunnere, yev ampoghch ashkhare kidna, ARARATE MERN E!!!”
I saw some of the speeches from the rally on Horizon, i think it was ARF’s representative who said this, but it was the best!
Putting pressure on Serzh should be done behind closed doors. We should stay united as a nation and not air our dirty laundry.
Papken…you have the greatest idea.. i think it a very strong step to take..
I will definitely join to go there if our rich Armenian businessmen, lawyer and doctors can raise the money to send all those volunteers who want to do this.
Being face to face with the Armenian Govt is probably what needs to be done.. to show that we believe in our culture, history and county.. and will do what it takes to stop them.
Hope that the world will stand up and side with us.. (I am referring to the Armenians all over the world and then the non-Armenian)..
G
I am in the process of responsering one volunteer from Europe to join our brothers and sisters in Armenia to protest. I encourrage all Armenians do the same. We need you and your money today. Tomorrow will be too late.
ARARAT MER NEH…
Long LIve Armenia and Armenians.
Papken
papkenhartunian@gmail.com
The Armenian Government should make no concessions with Turkey and no to Protocols until Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide, recognizes the valid Treaty of Sevres which was signed by Turkey & Armenia in August of 1920 along with 16 other nations, as well as reparations to the Armenian People. No borders should not be open so that Turks can move into Armenia to do trade and eventually over populate Armenia with Turkish Moslems. The Turks are shrewd and have outfoxed many nations. Armenians must wise up before it is too late.
Thanks Papken and others compatriots.
Armenia need you and your assisstance NOW !!!
We wiil wait you in Yerevan ASAP.
WE MUST JOIN OUR EFFORTS. NO CAPITULATION !!! NO PROTOCOL !!!
ARARAT@ MERN E !!!
Everyone keeps saying impeach him and do this and do that. STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND DO IT ALREADY TIME IS RUNNING OUT. HE IS GOING TO ERASE OUR HISTORY. DONT TALK ABOUT GETTING RID OF HIM… DO IT.
I WISH I CAN GO TO ARMENIA.. and literally remove him and his gang to cleanse our government and appoint someone who is honest, loyal and caring of his people and country..
Whoever has the abillity to remove Serj.. please let us know what we can do to speed up the process… He will definitely stand firm what he believes and may not back out from signing the protocols…
Unfortunately, our people are great when it comes to talking but when the time comes to stand up and do something, for some reason we stop dead on our tracks.. why? why do we always do that?
LETS DO SOMETHING.. i am ready.. just tell me what.???
G
Gayane,
I have the same feelings like you do – i just want to go there and shout as loud as i can that traitors have no place in Armenia. And indeed, as i saw on some posters from the NY protests, i fully believe that DIASPORA IS ARMENIA.
I think that it is you who Papken told me about – another person who is willing to go as a volunteer to Armenia and make our voices heard. Unfortunately if i bring this idea up to my fellow Armenians here, where i live, i would immediately be considered as crazy/lunatic/extremist/nazi/terrorist/naive/everything else under the sun you might think of. Very few of the ones i can think of actually disagree with the protocols and what they stand for and even less would be willing to actually stand up and shout NO!!!
Anyways…can you please contact me?
Sirov,
Cristina
kitty_hevia@yahoo.com
P.S.: togh Turkio yev Hayasdani ishkhanutyunnere yev ampoghch ashkhare imana, ARARATE MERN E!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is why Diaspora Armenians have to invest in Armenia not millions of dollars but billions so that they can take over major sectors, have positions in government, seats in parliament and have enough power to stop this nonsense from happening. When Armenia will become developed country more and more Diaspora Armenians will go and live there. But for some reason Diaspora Armenians are intimidated by corruption and oligarchs without realizing that with huge investments and growing industry those oligarchs will become insignificant and will compete out over time. I think this is the only way to save Armenia and I am not being biased as I am from Armenia even though I do not live there for 6 years..