The Greek Parliament honored the Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of Pontian Greeks on May 19 by lighting up the facade of its building on Monday evening.
Projected on the facade of Parliament was a logo with the initial 'G' of the Genocide, inspired by a photograph showing the march of 5,000 orphan children near Harput in 1922. The curved shape of the 'G' is made up of human figures on a march, commemorating the 'death marches' of displaced Greeks of Pontus in which most perished.
The plant depicted in the logo represents a bunch of amaranth, the plant that retains its bright yellow color and the shape of its flowers long after it is cut. This symbolises the dynamism of Pontian Greeks who managed to survive, holding on to their historical memory and culture despite the genocide by the Turks and the loss of their homeland.
No forgetting and no silence can cover the murder of 353,000 Greeks of Pontus during the years 1916-1923, the Parliament said in its statement, adding a phrase by the Panpontian Federation of Greece, "If we forget, we will perish."