#for posterity i am armenian diaspora

[wolfboywarmachines]

Oh hey, we want to talk about Isreal and Armenia now? Let's do that.

Artsakh or Nagorno Karabakh, which was almost entirely populated by ethnic Armenians, was ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan a little over a year ago. This came after a nine month long blockade of the Lanchin Corridor, the only way in or out of Artsakh. They kept food and supplies from going in, shot farmers who tried to grow food on their own, cut off electricity, and bombed multiple places both in Artsakh and on Armenia proper. 120,000+ people were ousted from their homes, and Azeris are now taking over. They are ransacking homes that aren't theirs, tearing down evidence of Armenians, tearing down churches older than Azerbaijan, and generally being terrorists. Azerbaijan also in this time violated multiple international laws and committed war crimes, such as using white phosphorus gas, bombed hospitals and other medical personnel, bombed schools, and violated corpses. It was vile.

Now, they are moving to Armenia proper, claiming that it's 'West Azerbaijan' and that Armenians have no claim to it. Armenians are the aggressors, but also we do not have the right to exist.

They did it all with the help of Israel, who is majorly funding them and giving them weapons and support along with Turkey. And if any of this sounds familiar to you, it's because Artsakh was always the test subject, the guinea pig for what's happening in Gaza right now. Sometimes I find myself reading about some 'new' tactic Israel is trying and I have to keep myself from screaming because Azerbaijan did it to us first. Azerbaijan did all of it and got away with it, and are going to get away with whatever they want to do to Armenia proper. The blockade ended weeks before the current genocide in Palestine started, and if you think that's a coincidence, it's not.

Armenians and Palestinians have always been in solidarity with each other and always will be. Our plights go hand in hand.

For those of you reading this who aren't Armenian or Palestinian- if you care about Palestine, turn your eyes to Armenia as well. It's too late for Artsakh, and I will never ever stop grieving what happened there. I burn with a rage and sadness I can barely contain every day because the world does not care about my people. But the genocide continues anyway, and all the easier because of the lack of attention.

Don't just use us as a mouthpiece or a defense for Palestine. Care about us.

when you are most definitely not evil

[aespring102]

      April 24th marks an important day for myself and all Armenians around the world. On April 24th, 1915 the Ottoman Empire executed 1.5 million Armenians out of their homelands. This genocide is the sole purpose I am where I am today as nine million Armenians make up the Armenian diaspora today.  My great grandparents were survivors of this genocide, of the brutal massacres of my people. At the hands of the Ottoman Turks, 1.5 Armenians were killed and with women and children forced on death marches. Despite historical documentation and evidence of these mass killings, the Republic of Turkey until this very day continues to deny a genocide. Due to political and economic ties with Turkey, the United States of America has not recognized this as a genocide either. 

    Southern California is home to the second largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia today. I think is important for us to recognize our city’s diversity and pay attention to it’s cultural geography. This is why I am making this creative connection today, because each year thousands of Armenians across the world gather to commemorate this day. Here, in our very own city of Los Angeles, thousands march in protest to the Turkish Consulate on Wilshire. I am one of the tens of thousands who marched on Monday, April 24 in memory for all the lives lost in the genocide as well as marching for justice. It was my first time participating in the marches here in LA, although I always participated in my hometown of San Francisco. The Armenian community in the bay area is extremely small in comparison to LA. This new experience was empowering, emotional, but I none the less felt an immense sense of pride being there. 

     My friends and I took an Uber ride to the meeting spot on Wilshire. Our Uber driver asked where we were headed because we were dressed in all black, carrying Armenian posters and national flags. She had never heard about the Armenian Genocide before and being able to educate her on this topic was a humbling experience. I was conscious in the way I presented such a traumatic event in history to a total stranger who was curious. As we approached our drop off, she saw first hand the thousands gathered at a park with hundreds of flags and poster. Armenians and non-Armenians of all ages were gathered there to march. She turned to my friends and I saying that what we are doing is incredible and to keep fighting for our rights. This encounter and overall experience was one that I will remember and cherish as it brought my awareness to the broader Los Angeles community as a minority in this city, and the impact we are are able to make in such big or small encounters. 

    I have attached a photo that I took during this event. Here you can see the crowd gathered in protest in front of the Turkish Consulate on Wishire Boulevard.