Trudeau and Poilievre Mark Black Ribbon Day Honouring Victims of Communism, Nazism

The Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington on Nov. 8, 2017. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre issued separate statements Wednesday to commemorate Black Ribbon Day, the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Communism and Nazism in Europe.

“On Black Ribbon Day, we remember the millions of men, women, and children who suffered and lost their lives at the hands of the Soviet and Nazi regimes in Europe,” Mr. Trudeau said in his statement on Aug. 23.

“Today, and every day, I encourage all Canadians to remember those who suffered, and continue to suffer, as a result of crimes against humanity. We will continue to honour them by fighting for a safer and more secure world.”

On Aug. 23, 1939, 84 years ago, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The agreement allowed Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet reprisal. It included a secret protocol that divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet regions. The pact was signed only days prior to the outbreak of World War II.

In his statement, Mr. Poilievre said the world was “confronted with evil twin socialist ideologies, Nazism and Communism,” during the 20th century and said that the Jewish Holocaust was a “tragedy of unspeakable proportions carried out with heartless cruelty.”

Mr. Poilievre spoke of communist Russia’s genocide in Eastern Europe under Joseph Stalin, the result of which was the death of millions from starvation during the Ukraine Holodomor from 1932 to 1933.

“We recommit to defending justice and liberty wherever it is under attack,” he said. He added that society must remain “on guard against fascism, communism and all other forms of socialism.”

Memorial to the Victims of Communism, a charity that aims to establish a Canadian memorial honouring the victims of communism, issued a social media statement on Aug. 23. It marked the anniversary of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact and the fascist and communist “totalitarian ideologies” that “led to the suffering and death of tens of millions of people in Europe.”

“Many European countries are still rebounding from the scourge of communist oppression and seeking ways to effectively protect against new malign influence and threats. Around the world Communist expansionism and threats to democracy are more aggressive than ever, even after history has provided us with such ample evidence of their dangers,” the charity said.

It added that democratic nations must reject communism and totalitarian rule at home and abroad and that it is important to learn from the past to avoid repeating it. “Let us have the courage to say no to those who would steal our rights, freedom and democracy,” the charity said.

Dozens of prominent government figures and organizations also posted messages on social media to honour Black Ribbon Day.