(KMJ) – Today is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
The City of Fresno raised the Armenian flag at City Hall in honor of the day
It was 108 years ago, on April 24th, in 1915, that the Ottoman empire, now known as Turkey began rounding up Armenian political and cultural leaders.
One and a half million Armenians would eventually die – marking the beginning of what would come to be known as the Armenian Genocide.
Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 24, 2023 as “A Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.”
“On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began its systematic genocide of Armenian people, a minority group that had long been treated as second-class citizens. The Armenian Genocide began with the forced deportation and murder of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders and ended with the deaths of 1.5 million men, women and children. It was the first genocide of the 20th Century.
As we remember the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, we also honor the strength and resilience of the Armenian people. Forced to build new lives in all corners of the globe, Armenians bravely forged ahead in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Thousands made their homes in California, and we are greater for their contributions. Let us recommit ourselves to making certain that we never forget the Armenian Genocide, and that we always speak out against hatred and atrocities anywhere they occur.
-Governor Gavin Newsom
Governor Gavin Newsom speaking on Twitter showed his solidarity for California’s Armenian community.
Newsom says California is home to the greatest number of Armenians in the U.S.
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
