Skirmish with Police: Lebanon’s Armenian Community Continues its Protest

Lebanese-Armenians yesterday continued to protest Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Lebanon. During the second day of his visit, Erdoğan visited the city of Sidon, where he participated in the opening of the hospital. At the same time, protestors continued their protest at Martyrs’ Square in Beirut.

According to Lebanese-Armenian daily Azdag, about 10,000 young activists from three traditional Armenian parties — the Dashnaks (Armenian Revolutionary Federation), the Hunchaks (Social Democratic Hunchakian Party) and Ramkavars (Democratic Liberal Party) — removed the poster in the square that welcomed Erdoğan and replaced it with Lebanese and Armenian flags.

Police attempted to intervene, which resulted in a skirmish between protestors and law enforcement officers. Extinguishing the flames was Armenian member of Lebanon’s parliament Hagop Pakradounian (or Pakradouni). 

During Erdoğan’s visit, Lebanese-Armenian politicians and public figures gave interviews to Lebanese TV stations and the local press, noting that Erdoğan attempted to take advantage of the Palestinian issue in Lebanon and to use negotiations with Lebanon for Turkey’s benefit, and not with the aim of assisting in resolving the conflict and supporting the Palestinians. 

Recall that two days ago, more than 100 members of Lebanon’s Armenian community gathered outside Beirut’s international airport to protest a two-day official visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The demonstrators stood amid tight security outside the main entrance of the airport, hoisting banners that read “The Lebanese have not forgotten Turkey’s bloody history in the region” and “Erdoğan should bow before our martyrs.”