Around 200,000 participants dozens of youth and student organizations, public unions, Turkish organizations and movements participated in the rally. The number of participants was expected to be in the tens of thousands including Azerbaijanis and Turks, while more than 200 000 people of other ethnic backgrounds also joined the rally. The resolution of the rally was read during the protest urging the organizers of the Khojaly Massacre to be punished according to international law. The Istanbul police dispatched heavy security to the French Cultural Center on
İstiklal Avenue, where demonstrators were marching, fearing possible attacks on the building. The rally was attended by nationalist organizations and political parties such as the
MHP,
Grey Wolves,
Atsız Youth, and the
Alperen Hearths. Attendance estimates ranged from 20,000 to 100,000 by the organizers. Istanbul governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu attended the rally, and it was addressed by the Turkish Interior Minister
İdris Naim Şahin who said: "There has never been a stage for such a courageous, honoured, determined, peaceful and brotherly meeting. I salute you! Welcome, shall your unity be everlasting!". Various slogans included, "We are all from Khojaly", "Stop Armenian aggression", "Do not forget Turkic people genocide by Armenian gangs in southern Azerbaijan", "One nation, two countries, Justice for Khojaly!", and "Stop Armenian lies". The anti-Armenian chants and slogans used by elements of the crowd included: "You are all Armenian, you are all bastards", "Bastards of
Hrant cannot scare us", "Today
Taksim, Tomorrow
Yerevan, we can come suddenly at night", and "Let Armenia be gone". Students at the
Süleyman Demirel University in
Isparta reportedly chanted "Mount Ağrı will become your grave". == Related events ==