▁including ▁ 8 ▁women ▁and ▁a ▁ 3 - year - old ▁child . ▁ ▁The ▁cons ulate , ▁a ▁nine - story ▁building ▁on ▁the ▁Bou lev ard ▁Haus sm ann , ▁not ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁Arc ▁de ▁Tri omp he , ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁do z ens ▁of ▁French ▁polic emen ▁a ▁few ▁minutes ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁seized . ▁Sh ar ps ho ot ers ▁took ▁up ▁positions ▁on ▁buildings ▁opposite ▁the ▁cons ulate , ▁and ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁cord oned ▁off ▁by ▁ri ot ▁polic emen , ▁causing ▁huge ▁traffic ▁j ams . ▁Several ▁buildings ▁ad jo ining ▁the ▁cons ulate ▁were ▁ev acu ated . ▁ ▁The ▁gun men , ▁who ▁said ▁they ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁an ▁organization ▁called ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Secret ▁Army ▁for ▁the ▁Liber ation ▁of ▁Armen ia ▁( AS AL A ), ▁threatened ▁to ▁blow ▁up ▁the ▁cons ulate ▁building ▁and ▁everyone ▁inside ▁if ▁the ▁French ▁police ▁tried ▁to ▁interven e . ▁According ▁to ▁The ▁Sydney ▁Mor ning ▁Her ald , ▁" the ▁guer illas ▁sent ▁out ▁a ▁Turkish ▁official ▁from ▁the ▁cons ulate " ▁to ▁hand ▁over ▁a ▁paper ▁containing ▁their ▁dem ands ▁to ▁police . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁in ▁a ▁statement ▁issued ▁and ▁delivered ▁to ▁the ▁Re ut ers ▁Be ir ut ▁office ▁during ▁the ▁sie ge , ▁AS AL A ' s ▁" Su ic ide ▁Command os ▁of ▁Y eg h ia ▁Ke ch ich ian " ▁threatened ▁that ▁if ▁Turkey ▁did ▁not ▁release ▁certain ▁" Ar men ian