March of Living honours Holocaust victims
April 21st, 2009 - 9:24 pm ICT by IANSWarsaw, April 21 (DPA) Some seven thousand people walked silently at Auschwitz in Poland Tuesday to honour victims of the Holocaust amid a controversial UN conference on racism.
The March of the Living included Holocaust survivors, some 1,800 Poles and young Jewish students from across the world in a walk from the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz to Birkenau.
Launched in 1988, the annual tribute comes on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom led the walk, along with Chief Tel Aviv Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau.
Thousands waved Israeli and Polish flags as they marched through the gates displayed with the words, “Arbeit Macht Frei”, the Nazi phrase meaning “work brings freedom”. Visible in the crowd were young people from Greece, Argentina and Turkey, among others.
This year’s march comes amid a controversial UN conference on racism that has been boycotted by countries including the US, Poland and Israel.
Critics said a draft declaration on racism included vague attempts to limit criticism of religion, and that the conference would single out Israel.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a key speaker at Monday’s conference, called Israel a “racist regime” that made Palestinians “homeless” after World War II. The speech prompted a European walk-out in response.
This year’s march is “the answer to all the anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers who at the same time will gather in Geneva to declare Israel a racist state”, event chairman Shmuel Rozenman has told the Jerusalem Post.
Holocaust Memorial Day was also marked in Israel with sirens and a two-minute silence Tuesday to remember victims.
- Fire At A Former Death Camp Of The Nazis In Poland Destroys The Shoes Of The Holocaust Victims - Aug 11, 2010
- Former Swedish neo-Nazi jailed for masterminding Auschwitz sign theft - Dec 31, 2010
- Sign stolen from Nazi-era concentration camp found in Poland - Dec 21, 2009
- Stolen Auschwitz sign found after three days - Dec 21, 2009
- Germany to pay over 50 million pounds to preserve World War II death camp - Dec 18, 2010
- Polish Authorities Undertake Comprehensive Search For Auschwitz Sign - Dec 20, 2009
- Former neo-Nazi arrested in connection with Auschwitz sign theft - Feb 12, 2010
- Nazi camp atrocities on display in Shanghai - Apr 19, 2012
- Auschwitz Victims Honored On Holocaust Remembrance Day - Jan 27, 2010
- German paper gives Auschwitz blueprints to Israel PM - Aug 28, 2009
- UN holds Holocaust memorial ceremony - Jan 28, 2012
- Iran launches website to undermine Holocaust - Aug 05, 2010
- Bin Laden news comes on anniversary after 'Mission Accomplished" - May 02, 2011
- Holocaust studies lack human rights element, says EU - Jan 26, 2010
- Israel remembers Holocaust victims - May 01, 2008
Tags: anti semites, draft declaration, holocaust deniers, holocaust memorial, holocaust memorial day, holocaust survivors, holocaust victims, iranian president mahmoud, jerusalem post, mahmoud ahmadinejad, march of the living, meir lau, minute silence, nazi concentration camp, rabbi yisrael, racist regime, racist state, silvan shalom, victims of the holocaust, world war ii