ASAs in California Colleges to Host Silent Protests Condemning Genocide Denial

On Thursday, January 26 California universities will be hosting simultaneous silent protests on their respective campuses. Demonstrations, coordinated by The Confederation of All-Armenian Students Associations, will take place at UCLA, USC, UCSD, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, Loyola Marymount University, Occidental College, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Los Angeles, and Glendale Community College. Members of the Armenian Youth Federation and ARF Shant Student Association will also participate.

The Stain of Denial, as the events is titled, aims at educating the greater campus community about the Armenian Genocide and the ensuing denial campaign by the government of Turkey. The ASA’s have partnered with various on-campus organizations to protest the continuous repression of justice. On the heels of the passage of legislation criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial in the French Senate, we demand that the government of the United States, like France, can stand up to empty political bullying from Turkey and properly condemn the Armenian Genocide. The United States, following the French example, should continue the fight against genocide denial and reject Turkey’s gag rule.

Students, faculty, and community members are invited to commemorate the memories of the millions killed in the Armenian Genocide and to take action for recognition of the atrocities.