BEIRUT  — Tens of thousands of Lebanese Armenians marched north of Beirut Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Carrying Armenian flags and white signs with the picture of a violet forget-me-not flower which was adopted as the symbol of the centennial, the demonstrators gathered the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate in Antelias to the Burj Hammoud Stadium.

Around 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Turks during WWI. Despite growing calls, including from the European Parlianment and Pope Francis, for recognizing the tragedy as a genocide, the Turkish government holds that the massacres committed against Armenia were a part of a civil war, not a genocide.

Speaking before the march, head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I Keshishian said Armenians do not need condolences from Turkey, but “recognition and justice.”

Prominent members of the Armenian community spoke on the occasion, highlighting the need for all countries of the world to recognize the genocide and pressure Turkey to do the same.

Also, Prime Minister Tammam Salam called the head of the Armenian Apostolic church in Lebanon Friday, expressing sympathy with the world’s Armenians over the tragedy.

“Lebanese people highly appreciate the positive and significant role the Armenian sects are playing at the national level, which aims to boost national harmony and unity,” Salam said, according to a statement released by his office.