Armenians March to Commemorate Genocide Anniversary
By Ani Ucar and Matt Hamilton
Thursday, April 24, 2014 | 11:36 a.m. PDT
Thousands marched in Hollywood on Thursday to memorialize the 99th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and to publicly call for the Turkish government to acknowledge its role in the massacre of about 1.5 million people.
The Turkish government has long denied its role in the genocide and challenged the death toll cited by protesters.
Protesters carried signs and Armenian flags and plan on marching down Hollywood Boulevard, from Hobart to Sunset boulevards. Rep. Adam Schiff was among the political leaders marching alongside members of the Armenian community.
According to the U.S. Census, almost 200,000 Armenians reside in Los Angeles County - the largest concentration of Armenians in the United States.
The Hollywood protest is one of many planned around Los Angeles for Thursday. The City of Pasadena and the Armenian Community Coalition organized a march, also slated for Thursday morning. The City of Glendale will hold a commemorative event on Thursday night as part of the city's "Week of Remembrance" -- a series of events that aim to raise awareness about human rights abuses around the world.
