NEW YORK–-Hundreds of community members from across the East Coast protested the Turkey-Armenia protocols in front of the New York Palace Hotel on Saturday, where President Serzh Sarkissian, on the second leg of his diaspora tour, was meeting with community leaders.
Armenian Americans formed a picket line today across the street from the New York Palace Hotel, where Armenia President Serge Sarkisian was scheduled to meet with representatives of Armenian American organizations to discuss the controversial Armenia-Turkey protocols.
People from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington DC, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania came out to express opposition to the protocols.
Blockades and guardrails contained picketers who held signs proclaiming, “Don’t compromise Armenia’s future!” “Armenians Want Justice!” “Turkey Accept the Genocide!” and “No to the Protocols!”
Picketers held small Armenian flags and chanted, “Sarkisian, tavajan [traitor],” “Sarkisian, can’t you see? You can’t sell our legacy!” and “No more protocols, No more lies!” A large banner directed to Sarkisian declared, “Do Not Betray the Armenian Nation!”
From the picket’s start the mood was serious and the demonstrators were indignant and angry. The atmosphere quickly grew intense with chants of “Turkey is guilty! Turkey must pay!” Early on, the crowd sang Armenia’s national anthem, “Mer Hairenik” (“Our Fatherland”).
As the crowd swelled outside, Sarkisian was inside the hotel for a 35-minute presentation on his administration’s policies on Turkish relations. After the presentation, community leaders were allowed to present their views in what was described as a tense atmosphere.
Sarkisian and meeting attendees were already in the hotel when the picket began at 4 p.m. The meeting was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and last for over two hours.
The Armenian president was faced with a barrage of criticism inside as many inside asked tough questions regarding his administrations conciliatory policy toward Turkey.
Participants inside the gathering reported that Sarkisian seemed “uncomfortable being challenged on the facts surrounding the protocols.”
Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, was at the protest and said that people inside were reporting that “Serj can’t keep his points straight and is unable to hide his disdain for people posing straight questions and expecting actual, honest answers.”
“He’s not used to peer-to-peer, respectful dialogue it would appear,” Hamparian reported. “Also he is sweating a lot and looking nervously around the room the room for friends.”
Meanwhile, the area inside and outside the hotel was heavily guarded by New York City police officers and plain-clothed agents, as well as Sarkisian’s own security guards.
In the hotel, a small group of protesters representing the Association of Concerned Young Armenian Americans attempted to deliver a letter to Sarkisian expressing their opposition to the protocols. They were met with resistance. During a heated discussion with members of the president’s security team, they demanded to deliver their letter personally to Sarkisian, saying that too much discussion on the protocols was occurring behind closed doors and challenging Sarkisian to honor his earlier promises to hear all opinions on the protocols during his tour of major diasporan cities.
Security permitted one of the young people to enter the secure area near the meeting room to deliver the letter, only if the others left the building. The association’s representative was told to wait until Sarkisan’s meeting concluded to deliver the letter. After waiting for over three hours to deliver the message from Armenian American youth—with no response from Sarkisian—the representative departed with the letter in hand.
At around 7 p.m., as the picket entered its final minutes, dozens of picketers moved from the picket area across the street to assemble directly in front of the Palace Hotel’s entrance, where they chanted and sang Armenian patriotic songs.
Police moved in to force picketers out of the area and back across the street from the hotel, where they remained until dispersing around 7:30 p.m.
“They sent police after the people trying to talk to Serzh and threatened to arrest them,” said one activist on the scene. “They treated devoted Armenians, young and old, very very poorly, it was very sad.”
FAR AWAY FROM LOS ANGELES WE SUPPORT OUR COMPATRIOTS PROTEST AGAINST THE TURKO-SARGSYAN PROTOCOLS. AND WE CONDEMNED THE PRELACY OF THE WESTERN AND EASTERN DIOCESE FOR THEIR IMMORAL CONDUCT…
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From: Masis Babajanian and Ishkhan Babajanian ishkhanb@yahoo.com
Subject: The Flawed protocols
To: info@armenianchurchwd.com
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 2:57 AM
Dear Prelacy of the Western and Eastern Diocese,
We respond to your message sent in support of the protocols.
On the basis of 4 fundamental principles, we are outraged and formally condemn the churches stance regarding the Turco-Armenian, or more accurately the Turco-Sarkissian, protocols. We understand that churches have historically shunned away from having their constituents question their stance, expecting them to accept information and ideas without query. Unfortunately, our Armenian Government has behaved in like manner. However, your statements in the current setting deal with secular matters, subjecting you to due criticism. We will succinctly summarize our four points below.
First, under the principles of separation of church and state, the Armenian Church should not wholeheartedly support one political opinion versus another. Its function in this issue ought to be to placate differing parties. The political arena is full of treachery, deceit, lobbying, crime, and debauchery, as described by former President Ronald Reagan. We have consistently tried to separate these themes from churches in general. Sadly, your biased position in this issue has engulfed you into such a political arena.
Secondly, a poll has shown that 90% of the US Armenians are against the protocols. Do you think these people are ignorant? Do you expect to sway 90% of the population regarding this matter in the next week? If not, how do you expect to retain the trust, support, and attendance of these people in the long run? It is concerning that our place of faith has strikingly contrasting opinions from us on such a vital measure in our nation’s identity, interest, and future.
Thirdly, you explanation of the protocols is exceedingly euphemistic. Our genocide is going to be put to question in front of the world. Why don’t the Jews agree to such a measure? It is entirely possible for the Turkish government to utilize its ample resources and immoral and corrupt influence to sway the conclusion of this proposed genocide committee. Just recently, the Turkish police has tampered with the videotaped evidence in the murder of Hrant Dink. They have over 600 years of experience undertaking such measures. The death of 1.5 million Armenians, including my great grandfather’s, becomes a circus and a mockery in front of the world. How will we answer to the nations who have recognized our Genocide? Furthermore, formally relinquishing any claims to Western Armenia has not only legal ramifications, but also spiritual ones. Armenians lose contact with their ancestral roots with this measure. If such roots are lost, Armenia will no longer be a place of deeper meaning. Visiting there will be akin to going to Disneyland or Hawaii, simply a site to appreciate aesthetics.
Finally, the Armenian People have endured great sacrifices and persecution in support of the Armenian Church. If religion were not an issue, our historical conflicts would not happen. If we were Muslim, we’d likely live peacefully in Eastern Anatolia, although we would be assimilated into the Turkish nation. Having lost so many lives and security because of religious issues, we find it ridiculous to have our church support measures to trivialize our pain, our losses, and our history. Our continued strife has been to preserve the Church’s identity and our loss in this struggle will ultimately result in the collapse of the Armenian Church.
It is obvious that your position is influenced by political figures who support you. We hope that you deviate from such a sycophantic stance. Your predecessors did not bow down to Stalin nor to the Ottoman Empire, often times risking their lives. We request that you follow their footsteps and demonstrate in your own words, “success, wisdom, and courage… in this crucial endeavor.”
Respectfully yours,
Ishkhan Babajanian, MD
Masis Babajanian MD
Santa Rosa, Northern California
USA
Oct.4, 2009
It was a mistake for the president to make this tour. He has made his mind up already, so whats the meaning of this Tour? He will return to Armenia and tell the people that he went and met the diaspora Armenians and they are all supportive? The Foreign minister should resign, and the president should make a drastic chamge in his foreign policy and save himself and his nation from a disastrous act.
Mrs. Clinton, U.S. State Secretary has promised something to Mr. Sarksyan, the illegal Armenian President, on phone. Otherwise, Mr. Sarksyan would have long ago returned home from the United States of America. That something is the vague and diplomatic promise that in case Mr. Sarksyan remains truthful to the U.S.-Turkish democratic deal (read, sign up all the three protocols with Turkey and put the Armenian interests and self-esteem on sale), Obama administration will or might pay special attention to the Armenian people and, probably, Mr. Obama will deal with (interpreted as “might recognize”) Mr. Sarksyan as a truly Armenian leader.
jeshmarid@yahoo.com
I work in the area and went by, there was heavy security. Alot of the cars parked in front of the hotel had security in them. I came back around 9 pm and I still saw a group of Armenian protesters still waiting outside.