Protesters remember First World War "Genocide" - Associated Press, 27 April 2002 by Sherna Noah

Protesters today marched to the Cenotaph in central London to demand recognition of a genocide nearly 90 years ago.

Nearly 1,000 men, women and children walked for two hours to commemorate the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915.

Campaigners, who assembled at Marble Arch, want to draw attention to the 87th anniversary of the First World War massacre in the Ottoman Empire, dubbed the first genocide of the 20th century.

The Turkish government denies that what took place was genocide. Hratche Koundarjian, communications director of the group Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (CRAG), who attended the march, said: "1.5 million Armenians died and the remaining population of 600,000 were turned into refugees.

"The genocide pretty much wiped out 65% to 70% of the rmenian population."

He said the majority of Armenians were killed in death marches on their way to concentration camps, in a bid to deport them.

He said the marchers wanted to remember that fact.

"Campaigners, who assembled at Marble Arch, want to draw attention to the 87th anniversary of the First World War massacre in the Ottoman Empire, dubbed the first genocide of the 20th century"

Sherna Noah

"If we march for two hours and get sore feet we might just begin to get a very small idea of what it is like being marched to your death," he said.

This week protesters have also mounted vigils outside the Turkish embassy in London to highlight their cause.

Campaigners also want the British Government to accept that what happened was genocide.

Koundarjian said: "The European Parliament has called on Turkey to recognise the genocide. But the British Government refuses to recognise the genocide - a convenient policy to promote relations with Turkey.

"The British Government, despite all the evidence, stands alongside Turkey, as genocide deniers, and as of yet has refused to call this crime a genocide. They say it was a massacre or to let the historians decide."

He said hundreds of thousands of people had marched across the world this month, including places like Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Lebanon, for recognition of the Armenian genocide.