Protesters demonstrate outside Turkish consulate on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Protesters flocked to Beverly Hills on Wednesday to demonstrate during Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
Nellie Rofaeel was among the dozens chanting and rallying outside the Turkish Consulate General's office.
"My grandfather's sister was murdered during the genocide in 1915," she said.
The Armenian community recognizes April 24 as Martyr's Day, when the mass murder and ethnic cleansing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire began in 1915.
"As Germany, they acknowledge they did the Holocaust," Los Angeles resident Zayan Ali said. "I believe Turkey should acknowledge the Armenian Genocide."
President Joe Biden is the first American president to recognize the genocide.
Since 2021, Armenia has been in a border conflict with Azerbaijan, which Turkey backs. However, many demonstrators said America's attention has been on places like Ukraine and the Middle East.
"We feel like our trauma was not recognized, was not supported, was completely ignored," Armenian Bar Association Chair Lucy Barpetian said.
The Turkish Consulate General's Office sent a statement regarding the genocide.
"Every year, President Erdoğan Ottoman places on record his condolences to the grandchildren of the Ottoman citizens of Armenian descent who lost their lives due to unfavorable circumstances of the First World War," the office said.
People also demonstrated in the Little Armenia section of Hollywood. Both the LA and Glendale school districts closed for a day of remembrance.
Resident Vilen Tavadyn fought for that when he was in school. Now, his children get to experience it.
"It is important for our youth to understand that and realize what happened in 1915," Tavadyn said.
Rofaeels family lives in Orange County where her kids can get an excused absence. She said it's not the same as a day of reflection.
"That is why we keep talking about it," she said. "That is why we raise our voices. That is why we sing our songs. That is why we speak our language. It's because we want this day to always be recognized."
In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law allowing public schools to close in observance of Genocide Remembrance Day.
