Times Square Rally Honors 80 Years Since Crimean Tatar Genocide

Crimean Tatars Gather in Times Square to Commemorate 80th Anniversary of Genocide

CRIMEAN TATAR FOUNDATION USA

Hundreds of Crimean Tatars from across the New York metropolitan area converged on Times Square on May 18th to mark the somber 80th anniversary of the genocide and forced evicted of their ethnic people from Crimea by Soviet authorities in 1944. 

The  rally saw members of the close-knit Crimean Tatar People come together, joined by representatives of the Chechen, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Ukrainian diasporas to honor the memory of the estimated 200,000  Crimean Tatars forcibly expelled from their ancestral Crimean homeland. Many perished during the brutal evicted carried out over just three days in May 1944 by Soviet forces under Stalin.

Participants held banners, sang the Crimean Tatar anthem “Ant Etkenmen,” and listened to speeches recounting the tragic events and calling for recognition of the genocide.

The rally aimed to raise awareness among the American public about this often overlooked chapter of 20th century history.

The event was organized by the Crimean Tatar Foundation USA with assistance from Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar organizations. Information materials were provided by the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Crimea Platform to educate attendees about the genocide and ongoing Russian occupation of the peninsula since 2014.

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And all this suffering began centuries ago. In fact, when Crimea was first annexed in 1783. At that time, 98% of the local population in Crimea were Crimean Tatars, and within 100 years after the occupation/annexation, the new government, due to persecution and repression, forced a third of the indigenous people. One hundred of thousands of those who actively opposed the annexation were killed, religious rights were seized, many schools were closed, property was confiscated, archives were burned and culture was subjected to genocide.

Crimean Tatar’s Rally
May 18th 2024
Times Square, 44W & 7 Ave, NYC
CRIMEAN TATAR FOUNDATION USA