Armenian Americans protest Azerbaijan’s conduct

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Wednesday March 03, 2010

Armenians protest at Azerbaijani embassy in U.S.

Washington - Several dozen protestors gathered outside Azerbaijan's embassy on February 26 to mark the anniversary of the start of anti-Armenian violence in Azerbaijan and to denounce that country's present-day policies.

Local chapters of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) jointly called an hour-long protest to "commemorate the victims of Sumgait," according to a flyer the two groups released earlier in the week.

Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) issued statements joined the commemoration via statements for congressional record. 

Sumgait is Azerbaijan's third largest town where in February 1988 local Armenian residents were subjected to unprecedented and unprovoked attacks leaving more than 30 killed by official count.

The violent mobs were organized days after the adoption of a formal request by Nagorno Karabakh's legislature for the Armenian-populated area's reunification with Armenia.

There were more deadly attacks against Armenians inside Azerbaijan from 1988 to 1991 with the entire community of some 400,000 expelled ahead of Azerbaijan's ultimately unsuccessful military aggression against Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh.

Although immediately after the Sumgait pogrom Soviet prosecutors rounded-up several dozen perpetrators, with several eventually receiving death penalty on charges of murder and rape, high-level organizers and instigators were never brought to justice opening the way for more attacks.

Two decades later, some of the pogrom organizers are believed to be members of the present-day Azerbaijani government.

To this day, Azerbaijani officials continue to promote intolerance against ethnic Armenians, threaten use of force against Armenia and oppose efforts to promote Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue.

As the protest began on Friday, alarms on Azerbaijani embassy cars parked around the facility began to blare in an apparent effort to drown out the protestors. The alarms were turned off only after the U.S. Secret Service intervened with Azerbaijani embassy staff. The Secret Service is responsible for security of foreign embassies in U.S.

Protestors displayed American and Armenian flags and posters and chanted "We will never forget Sumgait!" and "Karabakh is Armenia!"

At the end of the gathering, priests from Washington's St. Mary's and Surb Khach Armenian churches led protestors in prayer.

Earlier in the day, a smaller group of Azerbaijanis gathered outside Armenia's embassy in Washington for an annual commemoration of Azerbaijani victims of the Karabakh war.

That protest was preceded by statements in support of Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian charges made by Reps. Mike McMahon (D-N.Y.), Solomon Ortiz (D-Tex.) and Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) for congressional record.