LOS ANGELES (KNX) - This week marks the 108th anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide — widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. The Armenian community in Southern California is coming together today to commemorate the tragedy.
On this day in 1915, Ottoman authorities arrested hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders, kickstarting two years of violence in which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last September establishing Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day as a state holiday, permitting all public schools and community colleges in the state to close in observance.
The Los Angeles Unified School District had already adopted a policy in 2020 to close schools on April 24 in honor of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The Glendale Unified School District has closed schools for the holiday since the 2013-14 school year.
At 10 a.m. this morning, a rally will be held in Little Armenia at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue, KNX News’ Jon Baird reports. The event is organized by Unified Young Armenians, which also organized a rally Sunday outside the Azerbaijan Consulate in Brentwood, seeking an immediate end to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
In Glendale, the 22nd annual Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Alex Theatre. The event’s theme, “The Armenian Experience Through the Lens,” will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Armenian cinema.
Turkey denies that the deaths constituted a genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were the victims of civil war and unrest.
President Biden said in a statement today, “As we join nations around the world in remembering this painful history, we also reflect on the resilience and resolve of the Armenian people. So many of those who survived were forced to begin new lives in new lands — including the United States.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
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