Paris to shut off Eiffel Tower lights to Commemorate Armenian Genocide Centenary

The Armenian Embassy in France announced that the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, decided to dim the lights of the Eiffel Tower on April 24 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The lights on the famed structure will dim at 10 p.m., Paris time -- midnight in Yerevan.

The dimming of the Eiffel Tower will serve “as a sign of mourning for the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Armenians,” according to the Armenian Embassy in France’s Facebook page.

French President Francois Hollande will lead a 120-plus member delegation from France for the genocide anniversary remembrance events this week in Armenia.

France formally recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2001.

Recognition of the Armenian Genocide amongst the European Union and its countries has grown in the last few weeks.

The Austrian Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide and urging Turkey to face up to its past yesterday, April 21. The parliament held a moment of silence in honor of the genocide victims, April 22.

The German Bundestag will discuss and vote on a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide on April 24. It is expected that the resolution will pass thanks to support from the coalition government and German chancellor Andrea Merkel.

On April 15, the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of passing a resolution on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide during its plenary session, urging Turkey to come to terms with its past.