Events marking the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide began in Paris April 23. On that day a requiem mass was served at Notre Dame de Paris. The same evening at 6:00 p.m. part of Champs-Elysées Avenue was partially blocked. Hundreds of French Armenians with flags and flowers walked to the Trumphal Arch in silence. There Armenian Ambassador to France and Jacques Chirac’s special representative, military commandant of Elysée Palace laid a wreath to the grave of the Unknown Soldier next to the eternal fire.
April 24 bells of some 40 Armenian churches tolled in different French cities, marking the beginning of mourning liturgies in the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide. Requiem mass was held in St. Hovhannes Armenian Cathedral. Wreaths were laid to the monument to Komitas. Rally participants then walked to the Turkish embassy in silence.
April 24 Armenian NA Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan and Ambassador to France Eduard Nalbandyan participated in the ceremony of opening an Armenian Genocide Memorial. State and political figures, thousands of Armenians were present at the ceremony.
The same day the Armenian Ambassador and Lyon Mayor, MP Jacques Colomb partook in the opening of an Armenian Genocide monument in the city central square. Addressing those gathered Nalbandyan remarked some 50 Genocide monuments in France evidence not only recognition, but also solidarity with Armenians.
April 23-24 some 160 events commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide were held in 60 French towns: Grenoble, Toulon, Valence, Montpellier, Cannes and others. The topic of the Armenian Genocide was widely covered by French media and TV. Various French TV channels showed films on the Armenian Genocide.
