Thousands march across Golden Gate Bridge in solidarity with Armenians amid cease-fire with Azerbaijan
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Thousands of Armenian Americans and their supporters marched across the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday to call for an end to conflict. A conflict with deep history between Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
"Shame on Turkey! Shame on Azerbijian!" chanted the marchers who came from across the Bay Area and represent the 35,000 Armenians in the region.
Roxanne Majasdijian is from San Francisco's chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America. She explained the reason why she was there on the bridge.
"Turkey and Azerbijan have aggressively attacked and started a war. They are bombing civilians there and we are very concerned with what they're trying to do."
San Francisco's Armenian community say they came together to demonstrate against Turkey's and Azerbaijan's hostility toward Armenia.
"Turkey and Azerbaijan have aggressively attacked, started a war," said Rozanne Makasdjian, with the Armenian National Committee of America. "They are bombing civilians there and we're very concerned what they're trying to do really is finish off the Armenia Genocide that they started in 1915."
Saturday's march was just one of many gatherings of it's kind across the country. In Los Angeles pro-Armenia protestors shut down streets calling for peace.
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Tensions were renewed on Sept. 27 when fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces broke out. It was the largest attack since the war between the two countries that ended in 1994.
"You see everything that's happening and the young kids dying...it is our duty to make sure our voices are hearts and their voices are heard." said one young man participating in the march.
Azerbaijani community organizations have a different perspective on the conflict. The Azerbaijani Cultural Society of Northern California has raised more than $36,000 to help war victims in a fundraiser promoted on its Facebook page.
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In recent months, the Bay Area's Armenian community has been targeted with three hate crimes: vandalism, anti-Armenian graffiti and gunshots fired at an Armenian school and arson at St. Gregory's Armenian church.
Marchers in San Franciso hope the day's actions send a message to leaders to condemn the actions of Turkey and Azerbijan.
"We're all in this together" said one marcher.
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Editor's note: ABC7 previously reported hundreds were in attendance at Saturday's march, but bridge officials confirmed the crowd was estimated at 3,000.
