1000 march in San Francisco to commemorate Armenian Genocide (video)

March 3, 2015 - 10:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - About 1000 Armenian-Americans marched across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, U.S., last week to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, The San Francisco Examiner reported.

The march was led by the leaders of the local Armenian community.

"We march today, not just for the victims of the Armenian Genocide, but for the victims of all genocides. Only by recognizing and accepting that these genocides occurred, can the wounds of humanity begin to heal," said Armenian-American community activist Alex Bastian.

The Bay Area is home to approximately 30,000 Americans of Armenian descent.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.