Southern California communities rally for Artsakh

PASADENA, Calif. – In a display of unity and support, the Armenian community of Pasadena and the greater San Gabriel Valley came together in an organized vigil, march, and rally to stand in solidarity with Artsakh. 

It began at the Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial and ended at Pasadena City Hall. 

The community hopes to draw attention to the displaced population from Artsakh who were forced to flee their homes following Azerbaijan’s military aggression. 

One-hundred-twenty-thousand people are now refugees due to ethnic cleansing—they are now living in Armenia and are in need of humanitarian aid. 

The community is also asking for the international involvement to help arrange the immediate release of Armenians held illegally by Azerbaijan, in addition to a number of missing individuals due to the ongoing aggression by Azerbaijan. 

SUGGESTED:

The Armenian-American community hopes local and international communities join them in standing in solidarity with Artsakh and commit to justice and peace for the people of Armenia.

In 1923, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin integrated Nagorno-Karabakh, historically Armenian territory, into the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic. On December 10, 1991, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum for independence, with 99% voting for independence from the USSR (which dissolved on December 26, 1991), establishing the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

Since then, Artsakh, a region of profound historical and cultural significance to the Armenian people, has endured years of conflict and strife due to the Azerbaijani dictatorship’s policy of ethnic cleansing. 

In September 2020, Azerbaijan initiated ethnic cleansing actions in Artsakh. A ceasefire agreement signed on November 10, 2020, marked a pause in the conflict, but in December 2022, Azerbaijan escalated its aggression by imposing a medieval-style siege, triggering a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. 

On September 19, despite international calls to end the siege, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Artsakh’s civilians, leading to the mass exodus of the entire Artsakh population to Armenia. Fearing mass slaughter at the hands of the Azerbaijani dictatorship, 99.98% of Artsakh’s population is currently displaced in Armenia. 

The Armenian community of Southern California closely follows developments in Artsakh and Armenia, and this gathering is their collective expression of support and solidarity for its people.