By Panagiotis Diamadis
The Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic communities once again joined their voices to demand Federal parliamentary recognition of the genocides of their ancestors on Sunday, 21 April 2024.
The March for Justice from Martin Place to St Andrew’s Square (beside Sydney Town Hall) attracted many hundreds of Australians of diverse backgrounds in passionate support of this just cause.
United by the Joint Justice Initiative banner, the head advocacy groups of the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic communities led the March, sending their message to Canberra ahead of receiving the Prime Minister’s statement – that nothing less than full and proper acknowledgement of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as genocides will be acceptable to the three communities.
A poignant moment of the March was at the Armenian khatchkar (carved memorial stone) which stands on the west side of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Sydney. Young Armenians, Assyrians and Hellenes laid three wreaths on behalf of each community, bearing ribbons stating: ‘We remember them.’
The Hellenic contingent was led by Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia President Mrs Esta Paschalidis-Chilas and members of Pontoxeniteas NSW.
This year’s catch-cry – End The Cycle of Genocide – has been adopted by the March For Justice organising committee to call for truth and justice for the killing of over three million indigenous Armenians, Assyrians and Hellenes of the lands east of the Aegean Sea between 1914 and 1924.
The ‘Cycle of Genocide’ continues with the recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, the 50th Anniversary of the invasion and partial occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and the ongoing attacks against the Assyrian Nineveh province of Iraq.
On Wednesday, 24 April the annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration will be held at the Chatswood Concourse.
On Sunday, 19 May, the annual Greek Genocide Commemoration will be held at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, Cleveland Street, Redfern, following the Divine Liturgy.
