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Photos by Tatul Hakobyan
PARIS–Peaceful Armenian demonstrators in Paris Friday were met with violence as riot police attacked demonstrators, dozens of whom shouted “No!” Police dragged several protesters away kicking and screaming.
The protesters greeted President Serzh Sarkisian at the start of his tour of Armenian communities worldwide, shouting “traitor!” and decrying his plans to concede the historical and legal rights of the Armenian people in exchange for relations with Turkey.
Sarkisian later put in a brief appearance, walking past protesters shouting through bullhorns and moved onto to a public gathering he had organized on the issue of the protocols. 100 delegates, from all over Europe, were present with each having three minutes to speak on the issue. At the time of this post, the meeting was still going on behind closed doors.
“Sarkisian was about to lay wreath on Gomidas’ statue in Paris, right there, around 1000 demonstrators were present from Europe, protesting against the protocols,” French-Armenian journalist Jean Eckian told Asbarez. “Sarkisian arrived an hour late, due to the demonstrator’s intensity. They were shouting “votch votch”. Sarkisian had managed to stay for around a minute only; that’s when the clashes started with the french police.”
“Police arrived on the scene and surrounded the demonstrators warning them not to shout any slogans and to put down their signs,” said Eckian, an independent correspondent covering the event. “The police started to pull people away, ripping their clothes and hitting them. I saw them pushing one old woman out of the square.”
After Paris, Sarkisian is set to continue what is dubbed a “pan-Armenian tour” with visits to New York, Los Angeles, Beirut and Rostov-on-Don in Russia to discuss a planned meeting Oct. 10 when the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers are expected to sign the deal to establish ties.
Demonstrations are organized in every city he plans to visit. Thousands are anticipated to gather on October 3 in New York to protest Sarkisian’s visit to the Armenian community there, while the Armenian community in Los Angeles is planning a massive, day-long protest of the President’s visit at the Beverly Hills Hilton.
for more information on the planned demonstrations, visit: http://stoptheprotocols.com
Եւ այսպէս բոլորիս յայտնի եղաւ որ Սերջ Սարգսեանը անկարող է նոյնիսկ մի պարզ մտափոխութիւն անել, ախր մի ծաղկի համար նրան չեն էլ խանգարում իւր ազգակից կիններին, ծերունիներին եւ մարդկանց ֆրանսա-Թուրքավարի ոտնակող անել, անասուններու նման ծեծել եւ շպրտել մի կողմ։
Վայ այդ անիծած ծաղիկն էլ հենց Սուրբ Կոմիտասը թքնելու է վրան, վերցրու՛ պէտք չէ՛, տար քո խիզախ ընկերոջ Աթաթուրքի արձանի տակ տիր։
Դու ին՞չ խայտառակութիւն բերիր մեր սուրբ պապերի գլխին։
Mr President Serzh Sarkisian .
do you see so many protesters including elderly People pushed around and swipping the floor just so they show you how wrong is to sign the Protocol .
just take a step back and look around you then judge for your self better yet count to 10 and then think !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Serzh the traitor hasn’t got an ounce of guilt, feeling or pride in him, we should treat him as such and get rid of him asap and than charge him with treason.
He has managed to divide our nation and sell all our national rights to the Turks on the orders of USA so that he can stay in power and do more damage to Armenia. There has been violent demonstrations in Paris against him yet you never see them shown on Armenian tv, what does that tell you, it speaks volumes regarding their so called open debate, on tv you see people who are all Serge’s cronies telling the public how good these protocols are for Armenia, a disgrace to the whole nation.
I also believe that there should be a referendum in Armenia and in every country where there are Armenians so that they can express their decision on these protocols, there is no problem in organising such a referendum in the diaspora. I feel confident that a vast majority of Armenians will reject these protocols out of hand once they know the details of these protocols and the price we have to pay for the rest of our lives to the Turks. He has deliberately left a short period for people to know about these protocols as he very well knows that giving more time is against him, he wants the shortest time in which people haven’t fully grasped the full extent of his treachery.
The US state department is helping Serzh by financing to the tune of $80000 through NGO’s in Armenia in order to organise debates in the provinces, so that they can direct the debates in their preferred scenario, namely to except the protocols, the same old tactics just like TARC that time pushed through AAA another stooge of the US state department. As for not having no coverage regarding the opposition to these protocols do you honestly expect the western media to help us against the protocols, of course not its their baby, they are trying there utmost to help Serzh by spinning the story in the diaspora in favour of Serzh.
I say the time is right to get rid of this traitor at any cost.
Bravo to French Armenians, the best and the truest citizens of the world!
jeshmarid@yahoo.com
If Mr. president were 1% as brave and as Armenian as the lady who was dragged away by the French police, Armenia would not be a puppet in the hands of outside powers today.
Vive les Armeniens de France! Abrek….