Boston Rejects, Rescinds and Apologizes for Propaganda Proclamation

Washington, D.C. - “In his letter today, the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, apologized for issuing an Azerbaijani-inspired proclamation and made the right decision to rescind it,” stated Armenian Assembly Co-Chair Anthony Barsamian. “We thank Mayor Walsh and very much appreciate the Mayor’s candor and commitment to do the right thing. I would also like to thank fellow Bostonians Peter Koutoujian, Berj Najarian and Dr. Aram Kaligian for their important work on this matter,” Barsamian added.

In his letter to the Armenian American community in Greater Boston, the Mayor, who is the nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor in the Biden Administration, expressed his gratitude for the “deep and lasting relationship between the City of Boston and the Armenian people,” noting that the community “created one of the most precious spaces in our city, the Armenian Heritage Park, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.” The letter went on to highlight that in 2015, “we held a special centennial commemoration for the victims of the Armenian Genocide.” “The Armenian Assembly will continue to call out this propaganda campaign by Turkey and Azerbaijan to distract from the truth in an attempt to whitewash their egregious human rights record, particularly their abuses against the Armenian people and denial of the Armenian Genocide,” Barsamian concluded.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR# 2021-19