Armenians protest on Beach over Azerbaijan conflict
Armenian-Americans marched in Miami Beach demanding independence for the Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan, known as the Republic of Artsakh.
As voters inside Miami
Beach City Hall used the ballot box to decide their country’s future, a group of ArmenianAmericans took part in a more public display of patriotism right outside.
More than 100 protesters marched through South Beach on Friday afternoon, calling for an end to fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. The small, mountainous area is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but ethnic Armenians have governed it as an independent state, the Republic of Artsakh, since breaking away from Azerbaijan in 1991.
The escalating violence over Nagorno-Karabakh, which began in late September, has killed dozens of civilians in both countries, their governments have said.
Pro-Armenian protests have taken place in cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia in recent weeks.
“Once the protests started, it made us feel like we’re not as small as we think we are,” said 21-year-old Vartiter Vardanyan, who lives in Boca Raton. “They’re flooding the streets of L.A. and everything, it’s really empowering.”