Visit Martin SCHULZ, EP President to Auschwitz/Birkenau in Poland. Ceremony in Auschwitz,&nbsp;event "Train of Mille", extracts from the speech by Martin SCHULZ and statements by young students

statement

visit

ceremony

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

World War II commemoration (T)

Poland

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Martin SCHULZ, EP President participates to the ceremony in Auschwitz: extracts from the event "Train of Mille", extracts from the speech by Martin SCHULZ and statements by young students

Establishing shot; entrance gate to Auschwitz-Birkenau (Auschwitz II) with train tracks

Ruins of gas chamber and crematorium III blown up by retreating SS men

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, &ldquo;How could human beings do such appalling things to other human beings? How could human beings sink to such barbarity and depravity? How could so many stand by, turn a blind eye, remain silent in the face of inhumanity? We must tell our children about the vicious acts committed in a racist rage by Germans, about the guilt the generation of our fathers and grandfathers laid on themselves when they committed abysmal crimes that reached their horrific climax in Auschwitz-Birkenau. As German citizens it is our eternal duty to never forget, to remember and to stand up against the return of racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. We must keep the memory alive. We must do so for the sake of our children, we must tell them so that their children will tell the next generation. So that it will not happen again.  We have come together here in Auschwitz today to renew our pledge: Never again.&rdquo;

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, &ldquo;From this place of darkness I appeal to all Europeans: Auschwitz, this nadir of civilization, warns us to make the respect of human dignity the guiding principle of our acts and our policies. Today, the Mediterranean is the world's deadliest border. Every life lost is a stain on Europe. Yet, EU governments are not stepping up to the challenge, are not taking on their share of the responsibility. It's a shame for us. Human decency demands that we hold out a saving hand to those drowning off our coasts.&rdquo;

SOUNDBITE (French), Aicha-Louise WENGER, Belgian student, Lycee Emile Jacqmain, &rdquo;We&rsquo;ve had many meetings and seen films, but to come here really gives you a shock.&rdquo;

SOUNDBITE (French), Aicha-Louise WENGER, Belgian student, Lycee Emile Jacqmain, &rdquo;First of all you realize that this happened not so long ago, and with the European Union, I have the feeling that this sort of thing will never happen again. It&rsquo;s in the past and with the European Union all countries are together, it will prevent this kind of event to happen ever again.&rdquo;

SOUNDBITE (French), Naomi CYKIERT, Belgian student, Lycee Emile Jacqmain, &rdquo;Its very impressive, especially as from photos you don&rsquo;t realize the size of the place. It&rsquo;s really a place created to kill people, where such horrors have taken place, and to see it today like this, with all this green nature, it gives you a shock, with all that has happened here, and to what extent it is touching to see all this.&rdquo;

The Belgian students deposing flowers on the memorial stone

Four young people leaving carrying the Israeli flag across their backs