U.S. vows response to violence after Armenians, Azerbaijanis clash in LA

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan and the U.S. Embassy in Baku condemn acts of violence as inconsistent with the universal principles of peaceful assembly and protest, a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia said Saturday, July 25.

Clashes erupted in Los Angeles on July 21 when U.S.-based Armenians were staging a protest against Azerbaijan. Vruir Tadevosian, a producer and program director at Horizon Armenian TV, posted footage from the scene on his Facebook page and revealed that some of those involved in the skirmish had been injured. According to him, the Azerbaijanis hit the Armenian girls and attacked their cars when leaving the scene.

The comment came after clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in the various part of the world.

"The United States takes seriously its obligation to protect diplomatic facilities and is working with local law enforcement to support this effort," the statement said.

"Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are protected by the U.S. Constitution, however, acts of violence will be addressed by law enforcement as appropriate. We call on all demonstrators to engage peacefully and exercise restraint."

The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border escalated on July 12, with Azerbaijan launching several unsuccessful infiltration attempts throughout the next week. The Azerbaijani military also used artillery and combat drones to target civilian homes in several border settlements in Armenia. Five servicemen of the Armenian army were killed, while Azerbaijan reported 12 deaths.