NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES — In statements marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass honored the memory of the victims and emphasized the need for justice, remembrance, and preventing future atrocities.
Mayor Mamdani paid tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire across present-day Türkiye, Syria, and Armenia. He stressed that remembrance must come with a firm commitment to ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.
“As we remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide, we must refuse to allow history to repeat itself,” Mamdani said.
He also pointed to more recent events, stating that in 2020, the military forces of Azerbaijan and Türkiye attacked the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and in 2023, Azerbaijan displaced more than 100,000 Armenians from the region. According to Mamdani, these events represent a continuation of what he described as a genocidal campaign that began over a century ago.
“On this day of remembrance, we reaffirm the right of the Armenian people—and all people—to freedom, safety, and self-determination,” he added.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city joins Armenians locally and worldwide in honoring the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. She paid tribute to the lives lost, the families torn apart, and the generations who have carried this history forward with resilience and dignity.
Bass highlighted the profound impact of the Armenian community in Los Angeles, noting that it is one of the largest Armenian populations outside Armenia and an integral part of the city’s identity.
“From small businesses to the arts, from education to public service, Armenian Angelenos continue to enrich every corner of our city,” she said.
She emphasized that remembrance must be accompanied by a commitment to truth, justice, and standing against hate in all its forms.
“We stand with our Armenian community today and every day,” Bass concluded.
