Protest at Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles

On December 17, 2015 the Arab Americans for Syria (AA4S) hosted a #StandWithSyria protest at the Turkish Consulate office in Los Angeles, USA. Present were Palestinians, Armenians, Iraqis, Lebanese and freedom loving Americans like photographer Mike Chickey.

There was 120 pro Peace (Pro Syrian) protesters with many signs from “Stop Turkey from Aiding ISIS” to “The Ottoman Empire is over.” A small handful of agitators showed up with Turkish flags and the illegal revolutionary flag, with comical chants of “Assad kills Syrians, Erdogan saves Syrian people” and “Turkey home to Syrian Refugees.”

Nevertheless, the narratives have now reversed and those same words that were once paired with Assad, are now paired with Erdogan (“Corrupt”, “Despot”, “Criminal” and “Kills his own people”). Now the games have reversed and a new deal was inked with US State Department John Kerry and Foreign Minister and brilliant negotiator Sergei Lavrov. Whereas a peace process will be a focus in Syria, a stern warning followed from the White House to Erdogan to “deescalate” behavior toward Iraq.