Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada, released the following statement on Black Ribbon Day, the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Communism and Nazism in Europe:
“Eighty-seven years ago today, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a plan to divide and invade their neighbouring countries. The agreement and subsequent subjugation of Poland sealed the path towards the deadliest war in history. Terror, repression, starvation, forced labour camps, and genocide followed soon after.
“Today, we honour the victims who suffered and the tens of millions who lost their lives under the twin evils of Nazism and communism. The murder of millions of Jewish people remains the deepest scar inflicted upon the Jewish community.
“These scars on the world’s history must never be forgotten, because they serve as a stark reminder that any form of antisemitism cannot be tolerated, for it could lead to a repetition of the atrocities committed by authoritarian regimes.
“In 2009, Parliament voted unanimously to establish Black Ribbon Day: renewing our commitment to remember, and to ensure such horrors are never repeated. This commemoration is not just a chance to reflect on the darkness of the past, but also to inspire a better future for the next generation.
“That hope of brighter days ahead is exactly what inspired approximately two million people in 1989 to come together, forming a 675-kilometre human chain to protest against the oppression and cruelty of Soviet rule.
“Stretching from Estonia, through Latvia, to Lithuania, the chain became a powerful symbol of individual liberty, and an act that helped pave the way for the dismantling of the socialist regime.
“On this day, and every day, we take inspiration from their stand united against the evils of communism and Nazism.”