LA Activists protest Azerbaijan

[freakyfreaky]

Did anyone see local coverage of this event. The activists were apparently opposing Azeri propaganda claiming Armenians committed genocide Azeris inside NKR.

The talking heads were unable to articulate exactly what the activists were protesting about.

Anyways, these types of activities would prove more valuable outside locales during major media events (e.g. award shows where there are large press populations).

You'd think local and national leadership would have figured out how to mobilize under such scenarios in major media centers like hell-a.

[Sako]

Re: LA Activists protest Azerbaijan

I actually want things like this to continue happening. This is a great weapon, believe it or not. Like you said, it's pretty valuable.

[freakyfreaky]

Re: LA Activists protest Azerbaijan

http://www.asbarez.com/index.html?showarticle=39902_2/24/2009_1

The problem is that those that are employed to broadcast 'news' (and, I use that word lightly) are not fully, fairly and properly informed about hye tahd issues.

And demonstrations on such events are often explained away as "there are a bunch of Armenians complaining again." That's what the ABC7 11pm co-anchors Michelle Tuzee and Marc Brown did last night.

They kind of looked at each other dumbfounded like we don't know what we are looking at, shrugged there shoulders and mumbled about a group of Armenians protesting without any clear explanation about what the Armenians were protesting.

And, if local news co-anchors in Los Angeles (the largest population of Armenian diaspora in the US) are this uninformed about hye tahd issues then either the co-anchors are completely ignorant and incapable of learning or activist leadership has failed to adequately educate media members re: Armenian issues.

As organized Armenian activism in the U.S. has been going on for 30+ years now, its fair to say that there is a disconnect at the leadership level of Armenian activist organizations concerning mobilizing the message for public consumption.

Its like message aphasia. If someone yells out you, you are likely not going to pay attention about what is being yelled rather focusing on the volume level of the barrage.

Equally, if someone is speaking to you in a language you don't understand or about a topic you don't understand, more often than not you are not going to pay attention unless you need too in order to make a living, eat, use a restroom, get some rest, etc.

Unlike America J-ewish activists that can get a press conference to link the death of two J-ews during the Mumbai attacks as concerted effort by terrorists to kill J-ews or whose memorials which regularly get 'news' coverage are held as ceremonial events with local leaders and media members alike.

Armenian-American activists are often portrayed as rambling, barbarian masses who are demonstrating about who knows what and this is likely because of the way the message is framed, articulated or presented.

[merhayrenik]

Re: LA Activists protest Azerbaijan

God bless our brothers and sisters in the USA who are fighting for justice. Don't even care what others will say, do what you have to do.

[freakyfreaky]

Re: LA Activists protest Azerbaijan

God bless our brothers and sisters in the USA who are fighting for justice. Don't even care what others will say, do what you have to do.

A fight for justice without a clear articulate message understandable by the intended audience is perceived as merely a fight without purpose.

Armenian activists need to promote justice with a clear, articulable message and a plan to distribute that message to the widest audience possible.

As to the latter, not once in the history of the Golden Globe (a foreign press event) have I ever heard or seen a demonstration by Armenian activists re: genocide meanwhile people inside the entertainment industry actively promote Turkish issues on behalf of American J-ewish organizations including "genocide denial".

The fight for justice is to reveal those individuals as hypocrites simultaneously marketing the Holocaust for political leverage while stymyng recognition of the Armenian genocide because of geo-politics.

There has to be something compelling to report about; otherwise, demonstrations re: Hye Tahd issues gets summarily reduced to 'oh, there go those crazy Armenians again yelling about something.' There has to be a plan.

Armenian media writing about Armenian activists fighting for Armenian causes is really playing to the choir. It accomplishes nothing tangible.

Any articles about last night's demonstration in Los Angeles newspapers today? I haven't seen any.

The message is lost if noone knows for what you are seeking justice or that you were seeking justice at all.

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French media outlet report about Armenian activists in Istanbul gets republished in Lebanon newspaper.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=4&Article_id=99544

Armenian activists protest over screening of 'racist' documentary in Turkey
By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Monday, February 23, 2009

ISTANBUL: Armenian and other rights groups called for action Saturday over Turkish school screenings of a controversial documentary on the Ottoman mass killings of Armenians, charging that the film incited racism and enmity. The call follows an outcry in the small Armenian community following reports earlier this week that the education ministry had asked school teachers to show the documentary to students and file reports on the result of the screenings.

The documentary, called "Blonde Bride - The True Face of the Armenian Question," has come under fire for taking Turkey's official line that Armenians were not the victims of genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915-1917.

The film has also been criticized for violent images of Armenian gangs attacking Turks and piles of corpses it says were of Turks killed by Armenians.

"This documentary is a propaganda film ... It is not only biased and hostile but also provocative and openly racist," said a declaration signed by seven rights organizations, among them Armenian foundations and the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly. The film "has been made to poison people's souls and to turn Turks and Armenians into enemies," it said.

It called on the education ministry to launch an internal investigation and "expose and punish" those behind the order for school screenings.

Earlier this week, the ministry said it had sent copies of the film to schools to be viewed by teachers as additional material and not by students. It added that it had halted the distribution in July 2008 after discovering "uses outside its original purpose."

Armenians say during World War I Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, massacred up to 1.5 million of their people, terming the killings as genocide. Turkey rejects the label of genocide and argues that 300,000-500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up arms for independence. - AFP
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