Montrealers were joined by municipal, provincial and federal officials, in commmemorating the 25th anniversary of the start of the genocide in Rwanda.
The event, organized by Page Rwanda and the Alliance for Genocide Awareness and Remembrance (AGAR), was held at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Montreal. Officials later walked to the clock tower in Montreal’s Old Port where they laid a wreath in honour of the victims.
Around 800,000 Rwandan people, mainly Tutsis, were slaughtered in a hundred-day campaign that began April 6, 1994.
The United Nations designated April 7 the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
READ MORE: Teaching guide on genocide to be available in Quebec high schools this fall
As recently as a year ago, mass graves were still being found containing thousands of victims who are believed to have been killed during the genocide.
About 5,000 people of Rwandan origin live in Quebec, including more than 3,000 in Montreal.
WATCH: Rwanda honours those killed in genocide 25 years ago