But are we united?
Truly said, the march was poorly organised, with 3-year old banners (World is changing around us! Did they watch “Screamers”, I wonder?), almost non-audible loud-speakers…
When we reached the Cenotaph (a monument to remember ”The Glorious Dead” during the First World War) for a ceremony to lay down wreaths, most people did not even notice how it went, we were waiting for it to start, and then realised that it’s finished…
Surprisingly, I did not see Armenian ambassador at the Cenotaph today. Every year he meets marchers there for the ceremony. But may be he came and left unnoticed (which I doubt, he is quite noticeable) as the rest of the ceremony…
People’s turn out was quite low too, some people were joking that there were more policemen than actual marchers there – indifference? (again) poor organisation and communication? lack of trust or disappointment in community ‘leaders’?… I understand that some people just could not make it, or had weekend work, or may be they prefer to express their solidarity or remembrance in other way… Whatever the reasons were, it added to the sadness of the day. Apart from organisational problems, I believe one of the most important issues in Armenian community in London is a lack in communication. But cynic part of me can’t help but think that there would probably be much more people in attendance, if ambassador or other ‘important’ people were in attendance too, so there will be a reason for them to ‘show up’ …
In any case, it felt right that I was out there, among hundreds of other Armenians and occasional foreigners, it was my choice, it was my way of expressing my civic stance, to memory of victims of Armenian Genocide, to demand its universal recognition like Jewish Holocaust to pave the way for reconciliation…
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