DAYS OF SORROW
613 saplings planted in London to commemorate memory of Khojaly genocide victims
London, March 16 (AZERTAC). On the morning of 15 March, members of the Azerbaijani community traveled to a clearing in St. Albans, north of London, to plant the final 13 of 613 saplings. This event was organized by The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS). Each of these saplings represented one of the men, women and children whose lives were cut short 20 years ago during the massacre in Khojaly, in the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a solemn ceremony, these living memorials were dedicated to the victims, and a plaque on a stone plinth was unveiled. After planting the final tree, Tale Heydarov, Chairman and Founder, TEAS, commented: “This year, 613 trees are being planted to commemorate the victims of Khojaly on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. This will be a memorial for the future, and we will return to this site each year. It is important to keep their memory alive.” Also present to plant the final saplings were representatives of Azerbaijani student societies in London, including the Chairpersons of the societies at University College, London; the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS); The University of Westminster; and Goldsmith’s, University of London. This symbolic act formed part of a series of commemorative events organized by TEAS across London, which also included a landmark concert of Azerbaijani and Western classical music at St. John’s, Smith Square, attended by around 300 people, and the dedication of a bench in Battersea Park.