Thousands of people on Sunday, April 23 gathered to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey in two separate events, San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports.

Both — one in the afternoon and a second in an evening vigil — featured speakers and were held at the Armenian Genocide Monument in Montebello.

“This is for the people who are the children of the survivors,” said Viken Pakradouni, former chairman of the San Gabriel Valley chapter of the Armenian National Committee that held the night event.

“It’s meant to be informative not only to Armenians but to public officials,” Pakradouni said. “The idea is to educate.”

Typically, the afternoon commemoration is held on April 24 because that was the day in 1915 that several hundred Armenian leaders in Turkey were rounded up and deported or killed, and nearly 5,000 impoverished Armenians were killed in and around Istanbul.

However, this year, the communitywide “March for Justice” event in front of the Turkish Consulate will be held on Monday, necessitating the move, according to the website of the United Armenian Council that sponsored the afternoon event.

Numerous congressional members and other public officials were expected to speak at the afternoon event.

A religious service also was scheduled.

In the night event, Mesrobian students were expected to perform a musical presentation.