Armenian students organized a silent protest on campus today to raise awareness for the Armenian genocide.

The Armenian sorority and fraternity, Alpha Gamma Alpha and Alpha Epsilon Omega, in part with the Armenian Student Association (A.S.A.) usually put on these events during the week of April 24, the day the genocide began back in 1915.

“We’re trying to tell Turkey and the US government to do the right thing,” said Derik Sarkesians,21 senior business law major. The Turkish government and U.S. government have never acknowledged the massacre of 1.5 million Armenian people, he said.

Today’s protest coincided with 12 other campuses including USC, UCLA, CSULA, CSULB and UCSD, where the idea for the silent protested originated.

“Every school that has an A.S.A. is doing this. It’s kind of synchronized,” said Griker Geysimonian, 23, senior political science major and president of Alpha Epsilon Gamma.

Sarkesians said that not many people know about the Armenian genocide and that the Armenian organizations at CSUN will be putting on more events in April.

“We’re preaching humanity over politics here,” said Sarkesians.

Daily Sundial