California Prevents Armenian Official from Speaking on Genocide

The mayor of Fowler, California has denied an Armenian council member the opportunity to speak at a commemoration event for the victims of the Armenian Genocide. This was reported by The San Joaquin Valley Sun.

The incident occurred after a ceremony held on April 26 at Donny Wright Park. Councilman Garnik Ghazaryan, the grandson of a genocide survivor, stated that he was not offered a chance to speak at the event, and later was even denied the opportunity to say a few words.

According to him, the issue was not about "personal recognition," but rather about the need to involve someone in the event whose family was directly affected by the genocide, which created a barrier to his participation.

The mayor of Fowler, Juan Medina, responded by stating that the event was a "private event" and not an official initiative.

Fowler is considered one of the historic centers of Armenian immigration in the United States, as a significant portion of the city's residents were of Armenian descent following the genocide. Organizers are currently raising funds to build a permanent memorial dedicated to the victims of the genocide.