SYDNEY: This Saturday in Ryde, the Armenian-Australian community will have its chance to protest against the Armenia-Turkey Protocols, which the government of Armenia is set to sign this weekend.
The Sargsyan government is under increasing pressure from international powers to open Armenia's borders with Turkey by signing these Protocols, which threatens to:
- JEOPARDISE international recognition of the Armenian Genocide;
- FORFEIT claims for reparations resulting from the Armenian Genocide; and
- ENDANGER Nagorno Karabakh's right to self-determination.
President Serzh Sargsyan, currently on his Pan-Armenian tour of Diaspora communities, has refused to back down from his support for signing this document, despite facing a combined 15,000 protestors from Armenian communities in
Paris,
Los Angeles,
New York and
Argentina.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) are one of the organisers of this Saturday's protest at Santa Rosa Park's Homenetmen Ararat Club, and its President Varant Meguerditchian said he expected the Sydney community to add further pressure on what is the day the Protocols are set to be signed in Switzerland.
He said: "So far, the Armenian-Australian community has collected over 1,500 signatures via an online petition, we've held a community gathering, and now with this protest, we will add our opposing voice to the unjust international pressure Armenia is under to sign these Protocols."
Meguerditchian added: "We will ensure that footage, images and our message this Saturday reaches the office of President Sargsyan hours before he is asked to put pen to paper to these Protocols."
The protest is supported by the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), the Ramgavar Liberal Party, Hamazkaine, Homenetmen, the Armenian Relief Society and the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia, who jointly called on the community to
"Show YOUR support for a Free, United and Independent Armenia".
The rally will be held at the Ararat Club, Santa Rosa Park, Ryde, from 2pm. The flyer is below:
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