The discovery of anti-Armenian flyers posted outside St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale prompted a condemnation by city officials Friday, ABC7 reports.
“Unfortunately, anti-Armenian hate and racism is alive and well, and my community continues to be targeted, harassed and traumatized by these acts that have been taking place across the country,” Glendale city clerk Suzie Abajian said.
Eleven flyers were found, with one that called for Azerbaijan and Turkey to “complete Armenian Genocide.”
The flyer claims to be from supporters of Israel, includes Hebrew, and is signed from a rabbi. The Glendale Police Department, however, said it has no reason to believe the Jewish community has any connection to the flyers.
“The Glendale Police Department and I stand with the entire Glendale community against all incidents of hate,” Glendale police Chief Manuel Cid said in a statement. “We will use all the resources available to us to fully investigate any criminal acts associated with this incident while we work in collaboration with our community leaders moving forward.”
Glendale police Capt. Robert William said during a Friday afternoon news conference that a similar incident happened in Beverly Hills.
Glendale is home to the largest Armenian American population in the U.S. The Armenian community says they’re angry and scared.
“The threat of genocide is not protected speech, but a threat of violence that should be addressed appropriately,” Abajian said. “I do not feel safe walking on the streets of our city with the knowledge that some people would like to see Armenians erased from the face of the planet.”
Glendale police say surveillance video they reviewed showed a person holding a satchel filled with the flyers, and they believe there could be more around the city.
