Locals Commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

The City commemorated the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, marking the 110th anniversary of the start of event that has come to be known as the Great Crime.

The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested Armenian opinion makers and leaders.

Over the next two years, 1.5 million Armenians were hanged, poisoned, drowned or marched into the desert to die at the hands of soldiers from the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Along with the Jewish Holocaust and the enslavement of African Americans, it remains one of the darkest episodes in human history.

Turkey continues to deny the event took place. For decades US leaders — Democrat and Republicans — did not acknowledge the events.

President Donald Trump released a statement on Thursday.

“On this day, we bear witness to the strength and resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of tragedy,” Trump said. “We are fortunate that so many Armenians have brought their rich culture to our shores, and contributed so much to our Country, including decorated soldiers, celebrated entertainers, renowned architects, and successful business people.”

In 2015, the City unveiled the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Memorial Park.

The memorial consists of a 16-foot tall metal tripod. A drop of water falls every 21 seconds. Each year, 1.5 million drops of water — one for each of the genocide victims — will drop into a basin adorned with the ancient Armenian symbol for eternity.

Although there was not an official City event commemorating the event, students from Webster Elementary School and Blair High School marched to the memorial earlier this week.

Webster and Blair have an optional Armenian Academy. The academies offer students a chance to learn Armenian and some aspects of Armenian culture including music and dance.

A bill establishing Genocide Remembrance Day as a state holiday to be observed on April 24 and permitting public schools and community colleges to close in observance of the holiday was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022.

PUSD schools were in attendance on Thursday.

Last week, Mayor Victor Gordo issued a proclamation remembering the genocide. Gordo said the remembrance should be more than a reflection on the past, but also a call to build a future grounded in justice, compassion, and enduring peace.

“In Pasadena, we stand united with our Armenian brothers and sisters. We honor the memory of those who were lost. And we reaffirm our collective responsibility—to speak truth, to combat denial, and to ensure that such atrocities never happen again,” the proclamation reads.

In a guest opinion piece in Pasadena Now, former Mayor Bill Paparian, the first-born son of a survivor of the Armenian Genocide said there remains a national obligation to live every day of our lives in remembrance of those who perished.

“Our every action, our very way of life must adamantly and unflinchingly proclaim: Never again shall the Armenian people be subjected to Genocide!” Paparian said. “Never again will we allow men, women, and children to be torn away from their home, their schools, and their churches, to be massacred in deserts, rivers, and empty fields! Never again will we permit Armenians to suffer under the yoke of oppressors, such as the Turks, or Azeris. And . . . not only Armenians.”

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to declare April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Los Angeles County.

“Honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide is both a solemn responsibility and a powerful act of remembrance,” said Kathryn Barger, who chairs the supervisors.

“We must ensure their stories are not forgotten and that we continue to raise awareness about the atrocities they endured — and those that are still happening today. The recent forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh underscores the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition.

“Los Angeles County will continue to be a voice for truth and human dignity.”