Los Angeles Officially Recognizes Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a motion to recognize April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day within the county.

The Armenian Genocide took place between 1915 and 1916, when millions of Christians in the Ottoman Empire were displaced. As many as 1.2 million people were killed, according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia.

Los Angeles county is now home to the largest Armenian diaspora outside of Armenia.

Introduced by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis, Tuesday’s motion condemned the Turkish government for denying the genocide despite historical evidence.

The motion also made reference to alleged ethnic cleansing efforts in recent years. In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military attack on the Artsakh region in Armenia, followed by a 10-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor. In 2023, over 100,000 Armenians were forcefully displaced from their ancestral lands, according to the motion.

Azerbaijan claimed full control over the region, which has been in dispute between the two sides since 1918.

“This Board has consistently called on the federal government to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan for its continued human rights violations and to demand the immediate release of Armenian hostages held captive by the Azerbaijani government,” the motion reads.

On April 24, 2021, President Joe Biden also officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. “This was a historic victory for the Armenian diaspora, achieved through decades of tireless advocacy,” the motion states.

“However, recognition alone is not enough. We must remain vigilant in the face of ongoing threats to the Armenian people and reaffirm our commitment to preventing genocide, defending human rights, and ensuring that history is never rewritten or erased.”

The board also asked the CEO to promote events and educational materials to spread awareness regarding the Armenian Genocide.