Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

History

The date 24 April commemorates the deportation of Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915 from Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). The first commemoration, organised by a group of Armenian Genocide survivors, was held in Istanbul in 1919 at the local St. Trinity Armenian church. Many prominent figures in the Armenian community participated in the commemoration. Following its initial commemoration in 1919, the date became the annual day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide.

The 1965 Yerevan demonstrations saw 100,000 demonstrators come onto the streets of the Soviet Armenian capital on 24 April to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the start of the Ottoman genocide.

On 9 April 1975, the US House of Representatives passed Joint Resolution 148 designating 24 April as a "National Day of Remembrance of Man's Inhumanity to Man". The Resolution commemorated victims of genocide, especially those of Armenian ancestry who succumbed to the genocide perpetrated in 1915. The resolution however failed to pass in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee due to President Gerald R. Ford’s strong opposition to what he saw as a threat to the country's strategic alliance with Turkey.

In 1988, Soviet Armenia formally adopted 24 April as a public day of commemoration. In 1997 in the US, the California State Assembly declared 24 April as a "Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923, and for the victims of the Sumgait Pogroms of 1988 and Baku Riots of 1990".

In 2007, Argentina passed National Law 26199, designating 24 April as "Day of Action for Tolerance and Respect Among Peoples", in which Armenian Argentines are excused from work. In 2015, the House of Commons of Canada unanimously passed Motion M-587, proposed by Brad Butt, marking April to be Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month, and designating 24 April as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.

In 2019, France marked its first national commemoration of the genocide, with French president Emmanuel Macron declaring 24 April "a national day of remembrance of the Armenian genocide", fulfilling a campaign pledge. In 2021, US President Joe Biden recognized the genocide on 24 April, fulfilling a campaign pledge. On 14 May 2024, the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay unanimously approved a bill that declares 24 April of each year as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day".

References

References

1. (21 April 2005). "State of California Commemorates the Armenian Genocide". [[Armenian National Committee of America]].
2. (28 April 2015). "April 24 Declared Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Canada". [[Asbarez]].
3. (5 February 2019). "Macron Declares April 24 Commemoration Day of Armenian Genocide in France". [[The New York Times]].
4. "Ley 26199".
5. Jones, Adam. (2010). "Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction". Taylor & Francis.
6. (1992). "The Armenian Genocide: History, Politics, Ethics". Palgrave Macmillan.
7. "Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide".
8. (10 March 2009). "At the Origins of Commemoration: The 90th Anniversary Declaring April 24 as a Day of Mourning and Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide". Armenian Genocide Museum.
9. (9 April 1975). "United States House of Representatives Joint Resolution 148". Armenian National Institute.
10. Gunter, Michael M.. (15 April 2011). "Armenian History and the Question of Genocide". Palgrave Macmillan.
11. Bloxham, Donald. (28 April 2005). "[[The Great Game of Genocide: Imperialism, Nationalism, and the Destruction of the Ottoman Armenians]]". [[Oxford University Press]].
12. The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. (2016-09-22). "Argentina's Catamarca Province Recognizes Armenian Genocide".
13. "Brad Butt – Private Members' Motions – 41st Parliament, 2nd Session".
14. (2019-04-24). "France marks first national commemoration of Armenian genocide". France 24.
15. "France dedicates first Armenian genocide commemorations – 24.04.2019". Deutsche Welle.
16. Liptak, Kevin. (April 24, 2021). "Biden officially recognizes the massacre of Armenians in World War I as a genocide". [[CNN]].
17. (2021-04-24). "Statement by President Joe Biden on Armenian Remembrance Day". The White House.
18. (May 15, 2024). "Uruguay House of Representatives approves bill declaring April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day". Public Radio of Armenia.