TENSIONS RISING

Armenian Genocide Memorials Defaced in France

Two sites dedicated to the Armenian genocide were spray-painted with the initials of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed by the Grey Wolves militant group.

Two memorial sites dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in Decines, France, were defaced with yellow spray paint and the initials of Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan and signed by the Turkish far-right militant group Grey Wolves overnight Saturday. One one memorial, the words “Fuck Armenia” were also seen. Local French prefect Pascal Mailhos vowed to find the perpetrators as tensions continue to rise between Armenians and Turks in France. A demonstration by Armenians last week escalated into violent clashes that stopped traffic on a busy motorway and French-based Turks have openly attacked Armenians in other situations. “The hunt for Armenians has no place in the Republic, land of refuge for survivors of the 1915 genocide,” Danièle Cazarian, a local deputy of Armenian descent, said Sunday. “By this cowardly act, the authors have once again demonstrated that they fear the truths of history. These repeated intimidating maneuvers must cease immediately.”