Genocide victims commemorated in NY
On April 21, Armenian churches in New York offered Divine Liturgy for the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. Later in the day, a rally dedicated to the 98th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held in Times Square. The participants of the event observed a moment of silence in memory of the 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire. After the performance of the Armenian and U.S. anthems, Archbishop Oshakan Choloyan, the Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the U.S. of the Great House of Cilicia, made an addressing speech. Participating in the event were also members of the Armenian families who survived the pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad and Genocide survivors Pirouz Galustian, 104, Azniv Guiragossian, 103, Charlotte Kechejian, 101, who received a standing ovation from the audience. The presentees warmly welcomed the speeches of U.S. Congressmen, as well as prominent U.S. and Armenian political figures. Robert Karapetyan New York Photos by R. Karapetyan
