Toronto City Council Passes Armenian Genocide Recognition Motion

(horizonweekly.com) Toronto City Council voted today, on Motion MM6.7 which reads: “City Council recognizes the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to honour the memory of the men, women and children who died.”

Jim Karygiannis, City Councilor Ward 39 – Scarborough-Agincourt
Jim Karygiannis, City Councilor Ward 39 – Scarborough-Agincourt

The motion was brought forward by Councillor Jim Karygiannis (Ward 39) and, through strong support from longtime friends of the Armenian community, achieved the two-thirds majority required for a procedural motion to avoid being referred to the Executive Committee. At that point, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7), who was the recipient of a fundraising campaign during the 2014 municipal election by deniers of the Armenian Genocide, put a hold on the item to prevent it from going straight to a vote. The item was brought up later in the Council meeting where Councillor John Campbell (Ward 4) tried to kibosh the motion by moving “receipt” instead of adopting the recommendation. The attempt failed and the motion ultimately passed 26-4 with Councillors Campbell, Mammoliti, Berardinetti (Ward 35), and Shiner (Ward 24) voting against.

The motion reads:

“2015 marks the centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide, the 1st genocide of the 20th century, took place between 1915 and 1917.

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Government arrested over 200 Armenian community leaders in Constantinople. They were sent to prison in Anatolia, where most were summarily executed.
Thereafter, thousands upon thousands were subjected to forced labour, massacred or deported.

The Armenian Genocide was the systematic extermination by the Ottoman Empire of its minority Armenian subjects. This atrocity took place during and after World War I in which 1.5 million Armenians were executed.

Recognizing this tragic chapter in history, in 2004, then Mayor David Miller proclaimed April 25, 2004, as Armenian Genocide Day in Toronto.”

Recommendation

Councillor Jim Karygiannis, seconded by Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, recommends that:

1.  City Council recognize the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to honour the memory of the men, women and children who died.