Tens of thousands of people are marching in Los Angeles today to mark the anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
Advocates say they're calling for an official recognition of the tragic even in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies the genocide happened in 1915, blaming the more than million-and-a-half deaths on World War I.
Gov. Jerry Brown issued a proclamation on Tuesday declaring it a "Day of Rememberance of the Armenian Genocide. "Between 1915 and 1923, Armenians were subjected to torture, starvation, mass murder and exile from their historic homeland,'' according to the proclamation. "1.5 million lost their lives. The Armenian Genocide, also known as the `First Genocide of the Twentieth Century,' represented a deliberate attempt by the Ottoman Empire to eliminate all traces of a thriving, noble civilization.''
Supervisor Hilda Solis said recalling the atrocities suffered would help ``prevent such horrific events from ever occurring again.''
President Donald Trump acknowledged the anniversary today, but avoided the use of 'genocide' in talking about the anniversary.
Photo: Getty Images