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Los Angeles Daily News
Vandalism at restaurant deplored
By Naush Boghossian
Staff Writer
Friday, April 29, 2005 - GLENDALE -- Police are investigating
vandalism at the city's popular Zankou Chicken restaurant, which was
splashed with red paint hours after employees said they received an
anonymous threatening call. Police said the owner, employees and
others believe the incident was retaliation because the business
stayed open on Sunday, the day commemorating the killing of 1.5
million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.
"This is obviously done to intimidate, because business owners know
that if they choose to stay open, they could potentially suffer some
sort of consequence. It's a type of terrorism at its most basic
level," said Detective Stewart Brackin.
Employees had notified police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday that an anonymous
caller had said employees should be ashamed for being open and made
further threats, Brackin said, and the vandalism apparently occurred
that night after the restaurant closed.
Officers noticed the paint at 4:30 a.m. Monday and contacted the
owner. Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian said that last-minute business
reasons forced her to keep the restaurant open the day commemorating
the genocide -- for the first time in 22 years.
"I feel sad. It's not by closing your store that you're Armenian,"
said Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian. "It's a shame that people forget
all about the good things we've done for the Armenian people, our
community."
Officials at the Armenian National Committee Western Region condemned
the vandalism.
"Clearly, no one has the right to impose their will on others. It's a
case of intolerance, and that's what April 24 is trying to fight,"
said Armen Carapetian, government relations director of the
organization. "To then turn around and act in an intolerant manner, I
think, does the day of remembrance an injustice."
Anybody with information on the incident is asked to call Glendale
police at (818) 548-2058. To leave an anonymous tip, please call (818)
507-STOP.
Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected])
Vandalism at restaurant deplored
By Naush Boghossian
Staff Writer
Friday, April 29, 2005 - GLENDALE -- Police are investigating
vandalism at the city's popular Zankou Chicken restaurant, which was
splashed with red paint hours after employees said they received an
anonymous threatening call. Police said the owner, employees and
others believe the incident was retaliation because the business
stayed open on Sunday, the day commemorating the killing of 1.5
million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.
"This is obviously done to intimidate, because business owners know
that if they choose to stay open, they could potentially suffer some
sort of consequence. It's a type of terrorism at its most basic
level," said Detective Stewart Brackin.
Employees had notified police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday that an anonymous
caller had said employees should be ashamed for being open and made
further threats, Brackin said, and the vandalism apparently occurred
that night after the restaurant closed.
Officers noticed the paint at 4:30 a.m. Monday and contacted the
owner. Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian said that last-minute business
reasons forced her to keep the restaurant open the day commemorating
the genocide -- for the first time in 22 years.
"I feel sad. It's not by closing your store that you're Armenian,"
said Zankou owner Rita Iskenderian. "It's a shame that people forget
all about the good things we've done for the Armenian people, our
community."
Officials at the Armenian National Committee Western Region condemned
the vandalism.
"Clearly, no one has the right to impose their will on others. It's a
case of intolerance, and that's what April 24 is trying to fight,"
said Armen Carapetian, government relations director of the
organization. "To then turn around and act in an intolerant manner, I
think, does the day of remembrance an injustice."
Anybody with information on the incident is asked to call Glendale
police at (818) 548-2058. To leave an anonymous tip, please call (818)
507-STOP.
Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 [email protected]_
(mailto:[email protected])