A group of eight Canadian-Armenians have begun a 72 hour hunger strike in downtown Toronto on Friday organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada, Asbarez newspaper reports.

The demonstrators are protesting the ongoing human rights abuses carried out by the Turkish government, including: the denial of the Armenian Genocide; the stifling of freedom of speech, and press; oppression of Kurdish and Christian minorities who are treated as second class citizens and whose political parties are banned, leaders imprisoned and Patriarchate’s shut down.

“Although ninety-six years have passed, the world cannot forget the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish government must acknowledge and come to terms with its history so that the crime of genocide does not repeat itself,” Asbarez quotes AYF member Mark Piliguian.

The hunger strike will culminate with an official demonstration, which will be held Monday in front of the Turkish consulate.