Roma communities pay tribute to their brothers and sisters lost in the Holocaust for the first time in the European Parliament

On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the European Parliament commemorated the victims of the organized genocide during World War II. This year, descendants of Roma victims also spoke at the commemoration together with representatives of Jewish communities for the first time.

It is an honour for me that this year in the European Parliament – on my proposal – Roma communities have also been able to pay their respects to their brothers and sisters lost in the Holocaust. This makes today a turning point regarding the memory of the Roma victims who lost their lives during Porajmos, said Lívia Járóka, EP Vice-President of Roma origin after the commemoration.

The current message of the brutality that happened seventy-six years ago is rooted in the importance of remembrance. Let us remember the past, learn from what happened and act responsibly. We must act every day so that groups cannot be pushed to the margins of society by exclusion, hatred and indifference. We must hold the hands of the Roma, we must not leave them alone, Fidesz MEP Lívia Járóka emphasized.

Speaking at the event, Gyula Sárközi paid tribute to the forgotten Roma victims of the Holocaust, by recalling his stirring visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. “Barracks 13 was the barracks for gypsies in Auschwitz. The sign of the gypsies at that time was the black triangle set on its vertex. We took 70 strands of black roses and laid them down at barracks 13, recalled the Roma dancer.

Mr. Sárközi emphasized that today who thinks of poverty in Europe, primarily thinks of Gypsies. In order to be able to tackle the complex problem of extreme poverty, the EU will need to act like planting walnut trees. It will bear fruit one day, but it will take great patience achieving results, he said. Commemorating the Roma who became homeless in the fire in Csíksomlyó, he asked the audience for support with a gypsy prayer born in the Auschwitz camp: “I believe in the sunshine, when I don’t see the Sun, I believe in love if I don’t feel love, and I believe in God if God can’t hear me”.