Thousands of people marched Thursday on the streets of Little Armenia in Hollywood to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, KABC reports.
The march, organized by Unified Young Armenians, is held every April 24 to honor the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the 1915 massacre.
Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Armenians in the United States, nearly 194,000 people, according to 2010 U.S. census estimates. About one-third of Glendale residents are of Armenian descent.
Organizers say the march is the largest commemoration of the genocide outside of Armenia. Participants come from all across California, Arizona and Nevada.
Turkey has previously offered condolences to descendants of massacre, but refuses to call the event a genocide. President Barack Obama called the killings one of the “worst atrocities in the 21st century,” but stopped short of calling it a genocide.
Protestor Aroutin Hartounian said he’s disappointed in President Obama’s lack of recognition.
“He did promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide and he failed to deliver that promise,” Hartounian said. “He still has a chance to be that president.”
