Armenian Americans rally in Glendale to protest weekend of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh
The mother of Karabakh military officer Armenak Urfanyan grieves at a coffin with the body of her son who was killed in fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, during a funeral ceremony in a church in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Azerbaijani and Armenian forces had been engaged in fighting around Karabakh since Saturday.
In response to the deadly clash between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh this past weekend, members of the Armenian-American community rallied in downtown Glendale Monday night to protest the violence.
An estimated 500 people attended the demonstration, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William.
The impromptu protest, which was loosely organized on social media, took place along West Lexington Drive, beside the Consulate General of Armenia. Traffic was closed on Lexington at North Central Avenue, as police watched over the “peaceful demonstration.”
“There were a few people that were upset about the situation and wanted to make a statement that the Armenian community isn’t just standing by,” said Aran Manoukian of the Armenian Youth Federation, one of a handful of organizations that was present.
A video of the gathering uploaded on YouTube shows people waving the Armenian flag and shouting slogans. Signs, written in English and Armenian, were hung on the fence of the consulate office, calling for peace and prayers in the region, which is largely occupied by ethnic Armenians.
At least 30 soldiers — 18 Armenians and 12 Azerbaijanis — and a boy were reportedly killed when fighting broke out Saturday in the disputed territory, according to the Associated Press.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region located in Azerbaijan, has been under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces and the Armenian military for over two decades. Small clashes have occurred along the demilitarization zones that buffer the area, but Saturday’s fighting was the most violent clash since all-out war concluded in 1994.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry on Sunday announced a unilateral cease fire, but Nagorno-Karabakh officials disputed the report, saying that attacks have persisted.
A similar protest is being planned by the Armenian Youth Federation at 1 p.m. on Friday in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles.
“We want to tell the world it’s not OK to commit these atrocious crimes, and we demand justice,” Manoukian said.
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Brian Park, brian.park@latimes.com
Twitter: @TheBrianPark
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