Los Angeles County commemorates 101st anniv. of Armenian Genocide

May 4, 2016 - 16:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A delegation of the Armenian Council of America (ACA) participated in the annual remembrance of the Armenian Genocide by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 3, marking the 101st year of commemorating the Armenian Genocide, Massis Post reports.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich opened the speeches by remembering the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the Genocide, and condemned the recent acts of violence against the Armenian people in nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) by Azeri forces.

Supervisor Hilda Solis expressed how proud she is for representing members of the Armenian community, and for supporting the Armenian cause. Solis has been an advocate for the acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. Government alongside Antonovich.

Armenian community leaders delivered speeches thanking the Board of Supervisors for their continuous support, while also insisting the fight for justice must continue, especially in the wake of the Azeri attacks against the Armenians in Artsakh.

Deputy Consulate General of Armenia, Valery Mkrtoumian, thanked the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors for continuously honoring and commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The Board of Supervisors proceeded by giving certificates of proclamation which recognizes April 24, 2016 as the day for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.