LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a motion on Wednesday that will designate the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue as Armenian Genocide Memorial Square to commemorate the 100th anniversary of one of the greatest crimes against humanity, Councilmembers Mitch O’Farrell and Paul Krekorian announced Wednesday.
The motion, which was co-introduced by O’Farrell and Krekorian, and seconded by Council President Herb Wesson, directs staff to install signage at Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave, which is located in the Little Armenia neighborhood of the 13th District. The intersection is a key point for the annual genocide march, and commemorative events are held in cities around the world every April 24.
“This memorial square will honor the 1.5 million Armenians that perished, and the hundreds of thousands more that were permanently displaced, while serving as a daily reminder of what happened 100 years ago,” said Councilmember O’Farrell, who represents the 13th District. “The cultural, economic, and political contributions that have emanated out of Little Armenia for decades have helped make all of Los Angeles a better place, and understanding the history of the Armenian genocide makes us all more enlightened.”
Vice Consul of Armenia Valery Mkrtoumian was on hand for the vote today and spoke in favor of the motion. The City Council also discussed additional plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary, including planting 100 pomegranate trees across the City and illuminating City Hall in purple for the week of April 24.
“This memorial shows that the City of Los Angeles is fully committed to commemorating the Armenian Genocide and educating people throughout the city about our community’s continued struggle for justice and recognition,” said Councilmember Krekorian, District 2. “Like so many others, members of my family survived the genocide and planted our roots in this great city. It is so important that we honor those who died so that we can preserve our history and prevent such horrors from happening again.”
This year’s March – termed March for Justice – will be on a much larger scale than the annual marches. It will start in the 13th District and stretch six miles through the 4th Council District, the City of West Hollywood, and then to the Turkish Consulate in the 5th Council District. Thousands of Armenians from across the Southland are expected to gather for the event,
Greater Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Armenian-Americans in the United States.
Good job! Turkey is on the run. Soon there won’t be anyplace in the civilized world where Turkey can spew its lies and deception. It’s really a bad time to be a denialist Turk these days!
Turkey can run but he can’t hide.