Lyon Armenian Genocide Memorial

Lyon's monument to the Armenian genocide (French Memorial Lyonnais du genocide of Armenia ) was built in 2006 in the center of the French city of Lyon in memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire from 1915.

The memorial is located on the Place Antonin -Poncet near the Place Bellecour, the main street of Lyon. It was designed by Leonardo Basmadyian and includes 36 white concrete parts, which are supplemented by stones from Armenia. Poems by Gostan Zarian are engraved on the concrete parts.

The cost for the memorial came to € 180,000, two thirds of which were donated by the Armenian community Lyons. The rest was provided VVON the city of Lyon. Mayor Gérard Collomb actively supported the project.

Controversies

Members of the Turkish community in France and local Turkish organizations protested against the construction of the memorial. The Council of Turkish cultural associations in Rhone -Alpes turned to the French courts to overturn the establishment of the memorial - but the Court found that the decision upright. On March 18, 2006 was attended by over 3,000 Turks part in a protest against the memorial.

The local branch of the opposition Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP ) is also directed against the construction of the memorial.

Vandalism

On April 17, 2006 just a week before its official inauguration, the memorial was vandalized. Graffiti, who denied the fact of Genocide ( "There was no genocide " ) were sprayed on the memorial. The memorial was damaged again in August 2007.

Inauguration

The memorial was officially opened on 24 April 2006, the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Highest security measures have been taken that day, surrounded by over 200 state law enforcement officer ( brigade anti- criminalité ) of the Direction centrale of renseignements généraux and 25 city police the area. The area was also blocked to traffic.

Up to 4,000 people, including the Armenian Ambassador to France, marched past the memorial. The French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and the UMP candidate for mayor of Lyon were of President Jacques Chirac at the opening ceremony.