By Haykaram Nahapetyan
WASHINGTON – On April 24, 2019, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, the Armenian community of the greater Washington area held a protest at Sheridan Circle of Washington, D.C., in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence, organized by the Armenian Youth Federation. A Turkish-Azerbaijani counter-protest was happening across from the Armenian protesters, on the sidewalk where the embassy is located. Greek, Kurdish, Yezidi, Assyrian, and Polish community activists sided with the Armenian participants.
Later, a commemoration event continued in the yard of the Embassy of Armenia, where the Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan, Knights of Vartan representative Jacob Bournazian, Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian and Armenian Assembly of America Government affairs director Mariam Khaloyan delivered remarks. Arya and Sarin Balian sang the anthems of Armenia and the United States of America.
As a reminder, Sheridan Circle is the location where two years ago in May Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s security detail attacked peaceful protesters.
