MONTREAL – The second annual March for Humanity and Against Genocide took place in downtown Montreal Sunday afternoon.
The march began at Cabot Square and finished at the Place des Arts where the marchers were greeted by artists and performers.
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Several ethnic groups were represented during the march such as Armenians, Jews, Lebanese, Syrians, Rwandans and Greeks.
This year’s march saw nearly 1,000 people take part.
“The objective of this year is to bring all groups together,” said event organizer Apraham Nizibilan. “The idea is not to confront one group in particular.”
The aim of this year’s march is to sensitize the population at large and the government on issues that seem far away from Canada, Nizibilan said.
“Most of these situations happen in faraway places and sometimes we watch them through TV and then we become a little more ignorant we become a little more lazy. It’s important to remember, to remind people that these things have happened and unless we act here, they will happen again,” Niziblian said.
It’s also to show victims of current conflicts that they are not alone.
“Often, in the beginning, a victim will think, I am all alone, why me?” Niziblian said. “We want to show them that we are united.”
Last year the march attracted 10,000 protesters according to Niziblian and centred on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
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