Stockholm (AINA) -- Assyrians and Turks held demonstrations outside the municipal building of Botkyrka, a small town approximately 20 KM southwest of Stockholm, as the municipal council met yesterday to consider the proposal made by Assyrian groups to erect a genocide monument. According to the Swedish Assyrian online magazine Hujada, the council rejected the bid to fund the monument but offered to provide land for the monument if it would be funded privately.

The proposal was submitted to the council by the Assyrian Genocide Research Center.

Fehmi Barkarmo, who submitted the proposal, informed the council the Assyrians in the municipality would submit a new proposal under the new decision. "Our starting point is that it should be municipally owned land," Barkarmo told Hujada.

The proposed monument would honor the victims of the Turkish Genocide of Assyrians in World War One, between 1915 and 1918, which claimed the lives of 750,000 Assyrians (75%), as well as 500,000 Pontic Greeks and 1.5 million Armenians.

The Assyrian demonstration was organized by the Assyrian Genocide Research Center with the support and participation of Assyria Cultural Centre in Botkyrkavagen, Assur Society in Fittja, Assyrian Cultural Association of Botkyrkavagen, Inanna Family Association, Assyrian Youth Federation, the Assyrian Women's League and the Assyrian Federation.

Photographs by Morris Esa.