Rhona Prefect Failed to Fulfill Promise

PanARMENIAN.Net - March 18, when a wave of rallies shocked France several thousands of Turks protested in Lyons against the erection of the monument to the Armenian Genocide victims. They came across French ralliers at the municipality. Turks attacked the French and the police dispersed the crowd with tear-gas bombs. French and Turkish press covered the incident widely. Hurriyet Turkish newspaper wrote that "Armenians came to the rally to trouble Turks and three Armenians were wounded" what later turned out as a lie. According to chairperson of the Armenian Federation of Europe Hilda Tchoboian, the Rhona Prefect promised to prevent the action against the monument erection. "However March 17 he announced that the rally was authorized despite the demands of all the political circles of Lyons to prohibit it," she said.



Hilda Tchoboian considers that the Prefect took the decision under the pressure of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which said that Turks promised to refrain from anti-Armenian posters and slogans. However they did not keep their promise. They shouted out offences swaying anti-Armenian posters. "The Armenian youth explained the essence of the case to the French, who started shouting to Turks "France is not your place".



March 19 Armenians gathered at the editorial office of Progress newspaper that published some anti-Armenian articles. The editor said the newspaper will not publish articles of the kind any more, Hilda Tchoboian said. She added that March 20 a press conference dedicated to the recent events will be held March 20 and underscored that all genocide denying rallies will be barred. "The Armenian community of France will not keep silent, moreover this country and its people have announced their position on the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915," she said.