Fairfield, Australia -- Nearly 200 members of the Turkish community protested outside Fairfield Council on Tuesday night. They were objecting to a services committee plan to change the wording on a monument and plaque, commemorating what was called the Assyrian genocide. The wording on the monument on the corner of Elizabeth Drive and Smithfield Road at Bonnyrigg Park, would say the genocide was carried out "by the Ottoman Empire in WWI 1915-1918." The first paragraph of the Assyrian and Australian Memorial in Fairfield Park would also be changed, with the words "opposing forces" being replaced with "Ottoman forces". But the local Turkish community disagree with the Assyrians' interpretation. Protesters gathered at the front of the council building at 6pm chanting their disapproval. The council doors remained locked because of the rowdy crowd, with the Champion being locked out for 20 minutes. Protester Ertan Karakas said he was angered by the change because there was no proof of genocide by Turkey. "They should get their evidence together before any monuments or plaques go up," he said. "It's ridiculous. They are misleading the people. "They can put these monuments up on their own grounds at home but not on council property." Halil Cilem, a former Turkish army officer, said the monuments were destroying the good relationship between the Turkish and Assyrian communities. "The councillors and MPs are destroying the peace of this country," he said. "They are injecting racism and this is supposed to be multicultural. "Putting up these monuments will teach our kids to hate. We want to forget the past." Three Assyrian Fairfield councillors -- Ninos Khoshaba, Zaya Toma and Charbel Saliba -- voted for the motion; councillors Del Bennett, Nhan Tran and Kien Ly opposed it. Committee chairman Ninos Khoshaba used his casting vote to have the motion accepted. "It was a decision that had to be made and as the chair, I have to make a decision," he said. "I can't vote one way and then change my mind on the casting vote. It's not a reflection on the Turkish community today. It was a war. I hope they can let it go and move on." Turkish community spokesman Adem Cetinay lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Local Government on Thursday. He organised a second protest, for Martin Place on Sunday. The deputy secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance -- the group responsible for the Bonnyrigg memorial -- is pleased the council passed a motion to allow changed wording. Hermiz Shahen said he applied to change the wording after the state parliament acknowledged the genocide. "We have nothing against anyone," he said. "It's a fact in history that we lost 750,000 people. We also lost our homeland in Turkey. "This recognition is very helpful to our people because we are victims of that genocide, so when state parliament acknowledged it, it brought closure. "We expect the Turkish community to sympathise and to help us forget about the past, not aggravate it." Mr Shehan said it would take about six to seven months to change the wording on the monument.