You might have noticed landmarks across Liverpool have been lit up in purple.
The buildings, including St George’s Hall, the Town Hall, the Cunard Building and George's Dock Building, as well as the Mersey Tunnel ventilation shift, turned purple as an act of respect for Holocaust Memorial Day. Flags are also flying at half-mast at the historic buildings.
The annual event, which happens on January 27, remembers all of the victims of the Holocaust and more recent genocides such as Cambodia, Bosnia, Armenia, Rwanda and Darfur. This year’s theme is Fragility of Freedom – reflecting that in every genocide, those who are targeted for persecution have had their freedom restricted and removed before they themselves are murdered.
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Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, told the ECHO: "We are a community that prides itself on being one of the most open and inclusive places to live, work and grow up in. It is a reputation that we are rightly proud of – and one that I am committed to fiercely protecting.
"Holocaust Memorial Day is a chance for our community to come together and honour the memory of the six million innocent Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Second World War, and all the victims of genocide since. It also serves as a poignant reminder to every one of us that we must continue the fight for a more equal future."
Earlier today, Friday, January 26, the city marked the national day of remembrance with a service at Liverpool Town Hall with this year marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Those gathered had a moment of silence before Rabbi Natan Fagelman said prayer.
In a speech delivered by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Mary Rasmussen, said: “Today, it is no less harrowing for us even with the passage of time and in truth it never will be. We can’t help but be shocked by the incredulity of what took place, showing the darker side of man’s humanity to man.
“In the first half of the 20th century, the greatest acts of cruelty the world has ever seen took place in Europe. More than 6 million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and 5 million other people similarly perished at their hands. The Jews were the main victims of the Nazis as all were targeted and the full list leaves everyone who sees it speechless.
“They were not the only groups – Roma, disabled people, lesbians and homosexuals, black people, trade unionists and asylum seekers were also persecuted, brutalised and murdered. To be deemed different was dangerous, often fatal.”
Guest speakers at the event included Lu Lawrence, the daughter of Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper, who dedicated the last 25 years of his life to sharing his story with school pupils. Pupils from King David High School performed music, and students from Alsop High School and The Belvedere Academy read poems and text related to this year’s theme.
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