More Swastikas in Yerevan
Earlier on today I ran into Thomas Seropian from Follow The Way in Komitas and he told me that he had spotted more swastikas daubed onto walls as graffiti in downtown Yerevan. Now he’s posted a photograph of one on his blog. As Thomas points out, it comes soon after some of us cleaned up those that had earlier been allowed to stay for everyone to see at the height of tourist season in Armenia.
So bizarre to see these things in Yerevan of all places, and I can’t help but think that those responsible must really be sad individuals indeed.
It was announced on TV that a new murder by the skinheads took place in Russia. A 15 years old Armenian guy was severely killed and a scarf with swastika was rounded over his neck. Who will stop this ha???
Comment by Zarchka — November 14, 2006 @ 12:09 pm
If you don’t want to erase it, you can expand upon it, so it loses it’s original meaning (I know that generally covering someone else’s work is frowned upon, but this is pure racism and not a well thought out piece of graffiti).
I can give you a weak example of what I mean just off the top of my head; take a black spray paint, not that there is anything wrong with a swastika in it’s original sense, and turn it into a equidistant cross, then turn the sentence into , no Arabs shall be persecuted on Armenian lands.
Or you can just wait near potential spots and then shoot the freak who does it.
Comment by Esoteric — November 14, 2006 @ 1:41 pm
As I mentioned in a comment on Thomas’ post, there are a few swastika’s at several places along Baghramyan as well, one of them accompanied by the words “Sieg Heil”. Today, as I went home from work, I noticed another one that I am pretty sure wasn’t there yesterday.
Comment by Myrthe — November 14, 2006 @ 3:16 pm
By the way, Esoteric, no matter how low painting swastika’s is, I think shooting the idiots is at least equally low. Let’s not lower ourselves to their level..
Comment by Myrthe — November 14, 2006 @ 3:18 pm
Hi Myrthe, I don’t think Esoteric was serious about shooting the guys responsible. Then again, I guess your comment in response wasn’t serious either.
Comment by Onnik — November 14, 2006 @ 6:03 pm
What do you mean we shouldn’t kill them? Can we atleast beat them then? Just an itty bitty bit? No? Fiiiiine. I guess we’ll just have to ban the import of all paint to Armenia. Yes of course I was kidding…
8)
Comment by Esoteric — November 14, 2006 @ 8:42 pm
You guessed right, Onnik.;-)
Comment by Myrthe — November 14, 2006 @ 9:14 pm
i like esoteric’s idea
Comment by Thomas — November 15, 2006 @ 3:34 pm
Re Zarchka’s comment (the first one in this thread): I visited friends outside of Yerevan today and it turns out that this boy is from their village or the one next to it (at least I assume it’s the same 15-year old having been murdered). Needless to say, this boy’s murder is the talk of the village(s). The boy will be buried here, but there are rumors that the parents are having trouble traveling to Armenia (or leaving Russia - wasn’t able to find out which of the two) because their papers are not in order. They might not even be able to attend their son’s funeral. No matter what is true and what is rumor, fact is this murder should never have happened.
Comment by Myrthe — November 15, 2006 @ 10:59 pm