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John Kerry: Statement in Commemoration of the World War II Genocide of Roma

02 August 2014
1 minute read

We pause today to mourn and remember the hundreds of thousands of Romani men,
women and children who were savagely and senselessly murdered by the Nazis
during World War II.

On August 2, seventy years ago, Romani men, women, and children were taken
from their quarters at Auschwitz-Birkenau and sent to the gas chambers. Over the
course of a single night, the Nazis sent 2,879 Roma to their deaths. Entire
families were lost.

Today, we remember the 23,000 Romani persons from 11 countries who were sent
to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the 19,000 who perished. We remember the men, women,
and children who died from inhumane medical experiments, and the many more who
died from disease and starvation. And we remember that the appalling murder of
Roma didn’t stop at the camp’s edge. In parts of Nazi‑occupied territory, Roma
were rounded up, shot at village outskirts, and dumped into mass graves.

Above all, we remember our common responsibility to stand strong against the
cruel sting of bigotry and injustice. Racism against Roma persists even today,
and racism anywhere is a threat to people everywhere. We must condemn all
prejudice wherever it springs up, because we know that words of hatred too often
become acts of hatred.

Teaching about Romani experiences during the Holocaust is critical in
combating prejudice. We commend Germany’s efforts to remember the Romani victims
of the Nazis, including the memorial unveiled in Berlin two years ago.

We can learn from our history, and, together, we can change its course for
generations to come.

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