On April 24th, 2020 the Armenian-American community will commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide where the Ottoman Turkish Empire under the guise of WWI undertook the deliberate and systematic eradication of 1.5 million Armenians as well as an additional 1.5 million Assyrians, Greeks, and others.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, in place of the annual March for Justice demonstration that has historically brought tens of thousands of Armenians to the streets of Los Angeles in calling on Turkey to recognize of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Genocide Committee, along with Unified Young Armenians and United Armenian Council for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide - Los Angeles, has launched a humanitarian fundraiser in support of Feeding America to honor Near East Relief and provide 1.5 million meals to Americans in need. 

I'm inviting you to join me in remembering the victims of Armenian Genocide by lighting a candle in their memory.

At Monday’s City Council meeting Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek issued a proclamation remembering the Armenian Genocide.

“On April 24, 1915, the Turkish government perpetrated against Armenian people what is commonly referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century, which continued until 1923 and resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children; and since memories fade with time, it is important to remind ourselves about human tragedies that have taken place,” Tornek wrote in his proclamation.

“As a community, it is appropriate for us to stand together and join our Armenian brothers and sisters in an effort to memorialize their fallen ancestors and to ensure that this horrible act is not repeated,” he added.

On behalf of the City Council Terry Tornek proclaimed April 24, 2020 as a Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

The Los Angeles Armenian-American community will collectively commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2020 through a coordinated series of events to remember the 1.5 million victims of that tragedy and raise the community’s voice in unison to demand justice for the crime, Asbarez reports.

The organizations to participate in these events are the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles (UACLA), the Unified Young Armenians (UYA), and the Armenian Genocide Committee (AGC), which represents a broad association of global Armenian organizations, including the Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic and Armenian Evangelical Churches, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Social Democratic Hnchakian Party, the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Youth Federation, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian Council of America, the Armenian Bar Association, the Organization of Istanbul Armenians, the Armenian Relief Society, the Homenetmen, Open Wounds and others.

A pilgrimage to the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello is planned where the representatives of these organizations will lay flowers at the memorial.

The pilgrimage will be followed by the March for Justice, which will begin from Little Armenia, Hollywood. Tens of thousands will march in the heart of Hollywood, at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Square at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue.

The day’s events will conclude with a massive protest demonstration in front of Turkey’s Consulate General’s Office in Los Angeles, where the community will once again demand justice, reparations and restitution for the Armenian Genocide.

 Armenian Genocide March in Holywood cancelled due to the CoViD-19 Pandemic.

Thousands Marched In LA For Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day 2019

They want Turkey — and people around the world — to acknowledge the systematic massacre of Armenians that occurred between 1915 and 1923. That was the period when the rulers of the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 million Armenians and forcibly deported thousands more. 

Despite the consensus of scholars and academics, only a handful of countries, approximately two dozen, officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. The United States is not one of them. No modern U.S. President has recognized the genocide — although 49 of 50 U.S. states recognize it.

Turkey also refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, maintaining that the deaths of so many Armenian people were the result of World War I.

In 2016, after Germany recognized the Armenian Genocide, Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said, "Our attitude on the Armenian issue has been clear from the beginning. We will never accept the accusations of genocide."

 The Armenian Genocide Committee is composed of the following organizations:

• Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America
• Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
• Armenian Catholic Church of North America
• Armenian Evangelical Union of North America
• Armenian Revolutionary Federation
• Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
• Social Democrat Hunchak Party
• Armenian General Benevolent Union – Western District
• Armenian Relief Society – Western USA Homenetmen Western U.S
• Armenian Youth Federation
• Armenian Assembly of America
• Armenian National Committee of 
• America – Western Region
• Armenian Council of America
• Armenian Bar Association
• Organization of Istanbul Armenians
• United Armenian Council of Los Angeles
• Committee for Armenian Students in 
• Public Schools (CASPS)
• All-Armenian Student Association
• National Armenian Law Students Association
• Open Wounds 

•  Dancers with the Zvartnots Dance Ensemble perform during the city of Glendale’s Armenian Genocide commemorative event at the Alex Theatre in 2017. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual performance will not be presented, replaced by a humanitarian effort to support Feeding America. 

 March for justice, protest: Armenian community of LA to mark 105th anniversary of Genocide . April 24, 2019. 

 All pedestrian and vehicle entry routes and roads leading to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial will be shut down starting April 21 until April 25, police said. The move is an effort to prevent a potential outbreak of the coronavirus if people were to ignore the lockdown and attempt to visit the memorial on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

“Violating the rules will lead to legal consequences. Dear citizens, in order to avoid irreversible consequences amid the pandemic we are asking you to treat this decision with understanding,” police said in a statement.

As the traditional public commemoration events for the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24 are cancelled due to the corona-virus lock down, other events are planned to take place to pay homage to the memory of the victims of the genocide.

At 21:00 on April 23, church bells will ring and simultaneously the street lights in Yerevan and other major cities will be switched off, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Eduard Aghajanyan said at a news conference on April 21.

“We will ask our citizens also to switch off the lights of their homes and use the mobile phone display light out of their windows to symbolize the united presence near the Eternal Flame. The luminous commemoration moment will have its symbolic response from Tsitsernakaberd, where Kamo Seyranyan and Liana Alexanyan will perform the 

Ari Im Sokhak song,” he said.

Starting 08:00 , citizens in Armenia can send an SMS on the 1915 number, and on 0037433191500 for citizens sending from abroad, with their names to affirm their remote participation in the commemoration. “The names of people sending the messages will be screened on the pillars of the memorial,” he said.

In addition, the Armenian Church had earlier said that all churches in the country will ring the bells at midday on April 24.

YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS.

ԵՐԵՎԱՆ, 22 ԱՊՐԻԼԻ, ԱՐՄԵՆՊՐԵՍ։ Նոր կորոնավիրուսի համավարակի տարածումը կանխելու նպատակով ապրիլի 21-ից ապրիլի 25-ի ժամը 22.00-ն փակ են լինելու Ծիծեռնակաբերդի՝ Հայոց ցեղասպանության հուշահամալիր տանող հետիոտների ու տրանսպորտային միջոցների համար նախատեսված բոլոր ճանապարհները։ «Արմենպրես»-ի փոխանցմամբ՝ այս մասին հայտարարություն է տարածել ՀՀ ոստիկանությունը։

«Կարգը խախտելը կառաջացնի իրավական հետևանքներ։
Հարգելի՛ քաղաքացիներ, համավարակի տարածման այս պայմաններում անդառնալի հետևանքներից խուսափելու համար կոչ ենք անում բոլորին` ըմբռնումով մոտենալ որոշմանը»,- ասված է հայտարարության մեջ։