"Today, we said 'never again' to another genocide of Armenians, and that never again means Australia must stand against ethnic cleansing and genocide, dictatorships and Pan-Turanist expansionism. Australia must stand with democracy, indigenous rights, self-determination and freedom. Australia must stand with the independent, Armenian Republic of Artsakh," Kayserian added.
All free-to-air television networks ran coverage of the March for Armenians, each covering differing – and sometimes disappointing – angles. SBS, ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten News all featured the demonstration in their primetime evening bulletins, showing Sydney city draped in red, blue and orange thanks to the marchers and car convoy participants.
Online and print media also covered the protest. The Canberra Times, along with dozens of other publications, have carried coverage of the Sydney March for Armenians from the Australian Associated Press.
SBS Online also covered the demonstration also in a story that also featured an action by Azerbaijani-Australians, who hired an advertising agency.
"I am emotional, because like I said, it is not just a piece of land, for Azerbaijan it is just territory, but for us it is out heritage, it is our absolute existence," one protester, Melanie Tchakmadjian, told SBS News.
Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Haig Kayserian told SBS News: "Australia cannot remain silent and sit on the fence while Armenians are being murdered and their homeland is being ripped apart. It must act with the same humanity and resolve as it did when it came to the aid of survivors of the Armenian Genocide a century ago."
Russian video news agency Ruptly also covered the March for Armenians.
2GB Radio and ABC Radio ran coverage of the protest in their news bulletins throughout Saturday, featuring interviews with the Armenian National Committee of Australia.
This demonstration was the latest in a series of actions across Australia over the last two weeks, in Canberra, Perth, and Sydney – the latter being two successive weekends of car convoys causing mass traffic congestion on the Harbour Bridge. There are also petitions calling on SBS to immediately stop broadcast of Turkish state media channel TRT and for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to join other world leaders such as President Macron (France) and Prime Minister Trudeau (Canada) in condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan.
On Thursday 22 October 2020, the New South Wales Parliament's Legislative Assembly condemned the attacks by Azerbaijan and Turkey and recognised the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, calling on their Federal counterparts to do the same.
The organisations who led efforts for the March for Armenians included the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia, the Armenian Catholic Church of Australia, the Armenian Evangelical Church of Australia, the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Hamazkaine Cultural and Educational Society Australia, Nor Serount Cultural Association, Homenetmen Scouting and Sporting Association, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Missionary Association of Australia, Armenian Dkhrouni Youth Association, AGBU Youth, Armenian Youth Federation and the Armenian National Committee of Australia.
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Background on Australian Support
The largest legislative chamber of Australia's largest state, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly recognised the Republic of Artsakh, while condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan's attacks on the country's indigenous population.
While the Australian Government has so far played a bystander's role, public support for Armenia and Artsakh has been offered by Australian politicians at all levels of government and public figures, including parliamentary statements by Trent Zimmerman MP and John Alexander MP, along with the co-convenors of the Federal Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union, Federal parliamentarians Senator Kristina Keneally, Tim Wilson MP, Josh Burns MP, Jason Falinski MP and John Alexander MP, as well as New South Wales Member for Prospect Hugh McDermott MP, who wrote a scathing letter to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Australia. NSW Legislative Assembly Speaker Jonathan O'Dea MP expressed his solidarity with the Republic of Artsakh and Northern Beaches Councillor Vincent De Luca and media broadcaster Jon Dee did the same.
The Australian Greens political party released a statement calling out Azerbaijan and Turkey for their aggression, while the The NSW Young Liberals passed a motion reflecting a similar sentiment. Ryde City Council also released a message declaring solidarity with the Armenian people under attack, while the Greek-Australian, Assyrian-Australian, Pontian-Australian and Kurdish-Australian communities were strong in their public support for Armenia and Artsakh. Another strong statement statement of support has been issued by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
The New South Wales Ecumenical Council, which comprises of 16 churches in the state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, has released a statement calling out Azerbaijan's Turkey-backed attacks on Armenia and Artsakh while calling for diplomatic intervention by the Australian Government.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia have petitioned SBS and petitioned Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as lobbied the ABC and other networks for their unbalanced coverage of the attacks, as well as advocated for support from Government Ministers, including for an investigation into Australian flights made by a cargo airline owned by the family of Azerbaijan's dictatorship, which has past links to transporting arms and support to terrorist mercenaries in the Middle East.
