BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—The Armenian Youth Federation Western United States led its annual April 24 protest on Friday, as Armenian Americans gathered in Beverly Hills to mark the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and renew the Armenian nation’s demand for justice, reparations and accountability from Turkey.
The march began at La Cienega Park and proceeded to the Turkish Consulate, where participants carried Armenian flags and signs demanding justice for the Genocide and condemning Turkey’s continued denial of the crime committed against the Armenian people.
The gathering opened with prayers offered by Archpriest Fr. Razmig Khatchadourian, Pastor of Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church in Encino, setting a solemn tone for a day rooted in remembrance, national dignity and continued struggle.
Speakers at the event included Garen Jinbashian, Coordinator of the Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region; Ani Ghazaryan, Chairperson of the Armenian Youth Federation Western United States; and Levon Baronian, member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States Central Committee.
In their remarks, speakers emphasized that April 24 is not only a day of mourning, but also a day of political commitment. More than a century after the Ottoman Turkish government carried out the systematic extermination and deportation of Armenians from their ancestral homeland, Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide and evade responsibility for its consequences.
The protest also connected the historic crime of 1915 to the present-day threats facing the Armenian people, including Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and Turkey’s continued support for anti-Armenian policies in the region. Speakers stressed that the struggle for justice for the Armenian Genocide remains inseparable from the broader effort to defend Armenian sovereignty, national rights and collective survival.
For generations, the AYF has played a central role in keeping the Armenian Cause alive among Armenian American youth. This year’s march again demonstrated that the new generation remains committed to carrying forward the demands of the Armenian people.
As demonstrators gathered outside the Turkish Consulate, the message was clear: the Armenian people will not allow denial, silence or political convenience to erase the truth of 1915. Until Turkey acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and accepts its responsibility, Armenians will continue to demand justice.
