Members of the California State Assembly met Monday at the State Capitol to pass a resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and honoring the memory of those who were lost.
Many members of the Armenian community throughout the state came to meet with elected officials to discuss the importance of remembering the genocide and express thanks for their support.
Assembly Joint Resolution 2, by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), recognizes the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 as the first genocide of the 20th century, in which 1.5 million men, women, and children lost their lives at the hands of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
The Assembly also called upon Congress and President Barack Obama to formally recognize that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.
The Republic of Turkey continues to deny the occurrence of the mass killings committed by the Ottoman and Turk Rulers.