Canadian political leaders are marking Black Ribbon Day in remembrance of victims of communism and Nazism in Europe.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the day honoured the millions who suffered under Soviet and Nazi regimes.
Trudeau noted Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 85 years ago, which committed the two countries to non-aggression and saw the allies decide how to divide Europe among themselves. Within weeks, both countries invaded Poland from different sides before turning to the rest of Europe. The Soviets illegally occupied Eastern Europe, while Hitler’s Nazis marched into the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
“As a result, millions of people suffered tremendously under totalitarian regimes,“ Trudeau said, citing ”Jewish, Romani, Slavic, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities, as well as persons with disabilities.”
“Many survivors later found refuge in Canada, and to this day, their stories and contributions continue to shape the strong, diverse, and inclusive country we call home,” he added.
He noted that Parliament voted to establish Black Ribbon Day in Canada in 2009.
“Black Ribbon Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to uphold human rights, freedom, and democracy around the world,” he said. “Canada will always stand up for these values and all those fighting for them.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also issued a statement marking the day.
“Today, we remember the lives lost from these monstrous twin ideologies and honour those who fought to restore freedom across Europe. Let their memory serve to remind us that we must always be on guard against fascism, communism and all other forms of socialism,” he said.
He noted the impact of the “two evil empires” and their joint invasion following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which he said led to the persecution of Jews and other groups, culminating in the Holocaust.
“Before and during the Second World War, the racist cult of National Socialism unleashed violence against Jewish people, along with other minority groups and political dissidents culminating in the Holocaust,” he said.
“Their campaign of murder extended to other ethnic groups, 1.8 million Poles, 6 million Jews, including 3 million Jewish citizens of Poland, and the mass murder of people with disabilities.”
He also noted the treatment of citizens under Stalin, who faced forced labour, deportation, famine, torture and executions, as well as the starvation deaths of millions of Ukrainians due to Soviet policies.
“Seeking to crush any aspirations for liberty and independence, millions of Ukrainians were murdered in the Holodomor, a brutal Soviet genocide from Stalin’s man-made famine,” he said.
Poilievre also noted that 22,000 people were killed in the Katyn massacre for a total of more than 20 million deaths under Stalin’s rule.
