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Greek protesters burn NATO & EU flags at Crete military base

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greek protestors NATOGreek left wing protesters have held a major rally outside the NATO base in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, demanding the expulsion of the “imperialist” alliance which they claim “violates” the “sovereignty” of the country.

Amid heavy police presence, the protesters, led by Greek MP and Communist Party member Manolis Syntychakis, burned EU and NATO flags in front of the cameras. Holding protest banners and chanting anti- NATO slogans, the crowd delivered a letter bearing a list of demands to Air Force Colonel Ioannis Gerolimos, commander of the Hellenic Air Force base.

“We are here and we call upon citizens to fight and close the foreign bases and disengage our country from any form of US and NATO [participation],” said the chairman of the All Workers Military Front (PAME), Joanna Kourpa.

The Hellenic Air Force Base, home to Greek Air Force’s 115th Combat Wing, located east of the city of Hania, is also used by the United States Naval Support Activity (NSA). In addition it houses NATO Missile Firing Installation.

In February, a seven-ship flotilla was ordered to the Aegean to carry out reconnaissance patrols to help the coastguard of Greece and Turkey stem out the immigrant flow.

The protesters who are led by PAME view the Aegean operation as “mortal danger” which “violates sovereignty” of Greece. They accuse Athens and the EU of using the European refugee crisis as a “pretext” to promote “imperialist” ambitions and start interventions in countries such as Syria and Libya.

Furthermore, the anti-NATO activists argue that Greek bases are being used “in competition with Russia in the region and to encourage the aggressiveness of the Turkish state.”

Hundreds of Japanese protest Obama visit to Hiroshima

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hiroshima obama protest

Japanese during a rally against US President Barack Obama’s then upcoming-visit to Hiroshima, May 16, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Residents in Hiroshima have greeted President Barack Obama with protests at the site of the world’s first atomic bombing conducted by the US more than 70 years ago.

Obama arrived at Hiroshima’s atomic bomb park Friday on the first visit by a sitting US president and was greeted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“You’re not welcome here” and “Get out of Hiroshima,” the protesters shouted in a rally held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

They held banners that read, “Get rid of all nukes immediately,” “Remove all US bases from Okinawa” and “We won’t let you use military alliances to start your next war.”

Among the protesters, there were labor union members, college students as well as survivors and the relatives of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945.

“I could hear schoolchildren screaming ‘Help me! Help me!’ said Kinuyo Ikegami, an 82-year old survivor of the bombing, who took part in the Friday gathering.

“It was too pitiful, too horrible. Even now it fills me with emotion,” she added.

“The suffering such as illness gets carried on over the generation,” said Han Jeong-soon, the daughter of a Korean survivor.

“That is what I want President Obama to know. I want him to understand our sufferings.”

Obama has said he will not apologize for the bombing, which killed thousands instantly, and some 140,000 by that year’s end.

“I want Obama to say ‘I’m sorry.’ If he does, maybe my suffering will ease,” said 73-year-old Eiji Hattori, who was a toddler at the time of the bombing and now has three types of cancer.

“If Obama apologized, I could die and meet my parents in heaven in peace,” he said.

Obama’s visit to Hiroshima has stirred heated debate, with critics pointing to paradoxes in policies relying on nuclear deterrence while calling for an end to atomic arms.

The city of Nagasaki was hit by a second nuclear bomb on Aug. 9, 1945, and Japan surrendered six days later.

The US justifies the bombings, contending that they were necessary to end the war and save lives, although many historians question that view and believe they were unjustified.

Aides say Obama’s main objective in Hiroshima is to showcase his nuclear disarmament agenda. However, critics say he has made scant progress and is spending heavily to modernize the US atomic arsenal.

Japan, despite advocating disarmament, relies on the US nuclear umbrella for extended deterrence.

Among the governments critical of the visit, North Korea on Friday denounced Obama’s visit to Hiroshima as an act of stunning hypocrisy and “a childish political calculation.”

“Even if Obama visits the damaged city, he cannot hide his identity as a nuclear war fanatic and nuclear weapons proliferator,” read part of a report on North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Boston Protest at Turkish Consulate in on April 24, 2016

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PROTEST-2Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Armenian Heritage Park 

On April 24, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Sardarabad” Gomideh and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter will hold a protest at the Turkish Consulate in Boston to demand reparations for the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman-Turkish government in 1915-23. Although the main theme of the demonstration is the demand for recognition and reparations for the genocide, the protesters will also address the recent attacks by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), which violated a 20-year-long ceasefire established in 1994. Turkey, which “stands with Azerbaijan to the end,” as stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, clearly supports the recent Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh that began overnight on April 1-2.

Protesters will arrive in front of the Turkish Consulate—located at 31 St. James Ave., in Boston—by bus at 1:30 p.m., where they will deliver a letter stating their demands. The demonstration will last about an hour and will be followed by a procession from the consulate to the Armenian Heritage Park, where protesters will join the 101st commemoration of the Armenian Genocide starting at 3 p.m.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Sardarabad” Gomideh and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter urge the local Armenian community to join them in this rally to demand justice for the 1.5 million lives lost at the hands of the Turkish government, and for the reparations owed to the Armenian people who were forcibly driven from their homeland.

Buses will depart from the St. Stephens and St. James churches in Watertown at 12:15 p.m. immediately following church services, and will return from Boston at the conclusion of the vigil at the Armenian Heritage Park.

Armenians Protest Israeli Weapon Sales to Azerbaijan

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Armenians-in-Jerusalem-620x300Jerusalem (ArmRadio)—The Armenian community in Jerusalem today protested Israel’s sale of weapons to Azerbaijan, which are being used against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh region, albawaba.com reports.

Nasser Atta, a producer for ABC News in the Middle East, tweeted some photos and videos from the demonstration (video above), which occurred in front of the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

“Israel supports Azerbaijan’s state terror,” read one sign being held aloft by a protester.

There was a separate protest by Armenian residents of Israel last week at Jerusalem’s Monument of the Armenian Genocide.

Off from Artsakh – Armenians hold protest march to Russian Embassy

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lian.thumbA crowd of Armenian activists and politicians headed to the Russian Embassy Wednesday evening in a protest march against the country’s weapons’ sale to Azerbaijan.

David Sanasaryan, a member of the opposition Heritage party who had joined the public event, called upon the crowd to stand by the Armenians soldier, avoiding all kinds of illusions that Russia or any other country will ever lend its helping hand as a savior.

“Let Russia remember that we will not let the handover of a single inch of land; we do not want your peacekeeping forces. Our guys’ blood is dear; off from Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh],” he said during the march.

Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora show their support for peace in Karabakh

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Please help donating to Karabakh need your help

 

Hundreds rally in Amsterdam to protest Azeri violence

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209954Hundreds of Dutch-Armenians gathered on Friday, April 8 in Amsterdam’s Dam square to condemn Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Nagorno Karabakh.

The event was organized by the Dutch-Armenian organizations, Aravot reports.

The protesters carried posters denouncing Azerbaijan and Aliyev’s attacks, as well as photos of elders and minors who were brutally killed, also shouting “I am Artsakh,” “We are Artsakh.”

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral ceasefire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, on the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

As many as 46 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 122 were wounded in the course of military operations.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drones, whereas the Armenian side’s photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs. Opposition media outlets, however, reported on the death of 81 Azerbaijani soldiers, stating that 6 more have gone missing. According to Karabakh authorities, 300 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in clashes.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.

Armenian Youth Federation: Over 3,500 Protest Karabakh Attacks in LA, Staging Spontaneous Sit-In

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Over 3,500 gathered at the Azeri Consulate General in LA to protest attacks on Artsakh

Over 3,500 gathered at the Azeri Consulate General in LA to protest attacks on Artsakh

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

LOS ANGELES—More than 3,500 community members heeded the calls from the Armenian Youth Federation on Friday and gathered in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard to protest Baku’s savage attacks on Artsakh, where civilians and children were also targets of the Azeri aggression.

At one point during the peaceful rally, the protesters, who were huddled on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue, began to cross the street northbound and staged a spontaneous sit-in in the middle of the street, blocking eastbound and westbound traffic.

Chanting, “Not One Inch,” protesters the protesters sent a clear message to the Azerbaijani authorities that no amount of aggression and gunfire will force Armenians to concede any territory in Artsakh.

The Los Angeles Police Department, which was caught when protesters staged the sit-in, worked with organizers to ensure the safety of the protesters and those around them. The organizers thanked LAPD for their service, as well as the community around the consulate building for understanding the just cause for which the protest was staged.

In fact, the messages delivered by the speakers were loud and resolute. That as long there is a threat to Armenians anywhere in the world—and in this instance to the population of Artsakh—the nation will come together to defend the homeland.

AYF Central Executive member Verginie Touloumian invited the crowd to observe the moment of silence in memory of the those who lost their lives in defense of Artsakh and proceeded to read the names of those soldiers, civilians and the 12-year-old boy who died during last week’s attacks by Azerbaijan.

Areni Hamparian, a member of the AYF Junior Organization, delivered a moving speech, in Armenian, declaring that as long as there was an existential threat on Artsakh, or any other Armenian land, Armenian will continue to fight for justice.

Puzant Berberian, a member of the AYF San Fernando Valley Sardarabad chapter spoke about attempts to distort facts and recounted Artsakh’s centuries old history as a bastion of Armenian culture and heroism.

AYF Central Executive Chairman Gev Iskajian directed his remarks to the Azerbaijani Consulate by delivering a clear message of resistance and condemnation, saying that a nation that won the Artsakh war in the first place, has the resolve and the means to ensure “not one inch” of land is conceded and that the brutal savagery on display by Azerbaijan would not be tolerated.

After rallying the crowd with messages of victory and heroism, Davit Arakelyan informed the crowd that the AYF’s “With Our Soldiers” campaign was busy working to ensure that our soldiers and families were taken care of and urged the community to assist in that effort, and encouraged to community to support Artsakh though the Armenian Relief Society’s fund that was established after last week’s attacks.

His message was clear: Armenians in Los Angeles and around the world will continue to fight until justice prevails and a Free, United and Independent Armenia is established.

The protesters vacated the street peacefully and moved to the front of the consulate building, where after singing the Armenian National Anthem, they collectively pledged their resolve and solidarity to Artsakh.

This was part of the Western US community mobilization effort in the wake of the renewed attacks on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, with members and activists coming together to voice their unified protest against this, the most large-scale attack on Karabakh since the 1994 cease-fire agreement.

Los Angeles Armenians protest in support of Armenians in Karabakh (photos, Video)

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Armenians Los Angeles on Monday held a protest action to voice their anger against Azerbaijan’s policy of aggression and express support to the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The crowd gathered outside the Armenian Consulate in Glendale, one of the most densely Armenian-populated cities in the Los Angeles County.

The protest attracted many Armenians, including young activists, who extended their solidarity to the Armenians, condemning Azerbaijan’s violence.

The crowd is at the protest site chanting slogans and singing national and patriotic songs, as well as delivering prayers, our correspondent reports from Glendale. Vardan Karapetyan, a member of the municipal council, has also joined the protest.

The youth activists have also voiced a proposal for creating a team of volunteers to join the military operations on the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline. They say that some are already on their way to the battle site.

https://youtu.be/fZyrnNyDcMU

Armenians, Greeks and Kurds stage protest in Washington against Turkey’s Erdoğan

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Stop turkish agresionA diverse group of Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, Cypriots, Yezidis, human rights groups, and even various opposition Turkish political factions protested outside Brookings Institution in Washington D.C., where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was delivering a lecture, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

The picketers held banners calling out Turkey’s ongoing Armenian Genocide denial, crackdown on the country’s Kurdish community, and support for ISIS forces in Syria. Among the protesters’ chants was: “Long live Kurdistan; long live Armenia.”

Pro-Turkish counter-protesters wearing “We love Erdogan” T-shirts and holding “We Heart Erdogan” signs, however, chanted their praise for the Turkish president.

Erdoğan security personnel were seen attacking protesters and needed to be subdued by the police. At least one Turkish reporter was pushed and another forced to the ground and beaten by Erdoğan’s security team. Another reporter was forced out of Brookings Institution venue, prior to Erdoğan’s arrival.