Today, Armenia commemorated the nine-year anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder in Istanbul. A group of people gathered in front of the Yerevan Municipality asking Mayor Taron Margaryan to rename one of the central streets in Yerevan after the slain journalist.
After delivering the letter of request addressed to the Mayor, the group walked to the Republic Square, where a silent candlelit vigil was held.
Organizers say the initiative is not just a remembrance event or an act of solidarity. Hrant Dink was an outspoken advocate of human and minority rights, concerns that are relevant to Armenia today, naming a street after Hrant Dink means immersing the legacy of his work and his ideals into Armenia’s reality. You can sign the online petition here.
Another such initiative is underway in Istanbul. Today’s Zaman reports that a petition with more than three thousand signatures has been delivered to the Sisli Municipality to have a street in the district be named after Hrant Dink.