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This article studies the mobilisation of Armenian activists during the April 24, 1985 demonstration in Lyons to commemorate the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. It first contextualises the Armenian issue in France in the early 1980s and introduces the main religious and political protagonists of this commemorative event, as well as their often conflicting opinions. It then examines the role and practices of prominent French and Armenian leaders with regard to planning and organising the event, before analysing the hybrid forms of protest used by other activists on the fringes of the official commemoration. This article concludes by emphasising the interpenetration of actions of mourning and protest, as well as the performative value of this mobilisation for the Armenian diaspora.