The European Parliament holds a ceremony in Brussels to commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp 75 years ago. Statements by Liliana SEGRE, Italian senator for life and Auschwitz survivor, David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC. David SASSOLI, EP President, invites the chamber to a minute of silence.

Brussels

minute of silence

ceremony

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Holocaust remembrance (T)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz: extracts from the ceremony

Shots from memorial video on Auschwitz, 4 shots

Peformance by Misha MAISKY, cello, and Max MAISKY, piano; 'Prayer' from 'Jewish life' by Ernest BLOCH, 2 shots

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Let's repeat it together today, otherwise it would make no sense to commemorate the liberation Auschwitz-Birkenau today. Nazism and racism are not opinions but crimes. (Applause).

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Auschwitz is unspeakable. However, I want to believe that the testimony of those who have seen the unspeakable manages to move our hearts and inspire our actions, so that this can never happen again. So let us listen to the voice of to Mrs SEGRE to whom I give the floor. With her we will be stronger in sustaining our testimony, against indifference. (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Liliana Segre, Senator for life, Senato della Repubblica and Auschwitz survivor, I will not hide my profound emotion entering the European Parliament, after having seen at the entrance the flags, colourful, from so many countries in brotherhood in this |European parliament where it people, talk, discuss and look each other in the eye. It was not always like this.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Liliana Segre, Senator for life, Senato della Repubblica and Auschwitz survivor, To be like that littel girl from Terezin, who visited the Museum of children, where they could draw with pastel colours, and then one they day they were all deported to Auschwitz, for the simple reason that they had been born, and they were children and so couldnt have done any harm to anyone, There was a girl whose name I cannot remember, who drew a yellow butterfly that flew over barbed wire. And this is a very simple advice of grand-mother that future grand-children, that they can make a choice, and that their responsability and their conscience be always that of the yellow butterfly flying over barbed wire. (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Liliana Segre, Senator for life, Senato della Repubblica and Auschwitz survivor, And this is a very simple advice of grand-mother to future grand-children, that they can make a choice, and with their responsability and their conscience always be that of the yellow butterfly flying over barbed wire. (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (French), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have the permanent responsibility to fight with determination all forms of anti-semitism and discrimination. And to never, never forget. (Applause).

EP President David SASSOLI invites the chamber to a minute of silence, 6 shots