Canada – Statement on 80th anniversary of Babyn Yar massacre
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement: “This year marks 80 years since the Babyn Yar massacre when 33,771 Jews of Kiev, Ukraine were brutally murdered in two days in 1941 by a Nazi killing squad. This was one of the largest single mass killings of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
October 6, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“This year marks 80 years since the Babyn Yar massacre when 33,771 Jews of Kiev, Ukraine were brutally murdered in two days in 1941 by a Nazi killing squad. This was one of the largest single mass killings of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
During a commemorative event at the site of the Babyn Yar massacre today, the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Special Envoy to the European Union and Europe and Ambassador to Germany, stood alongside world leaders to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to combatting antisemitism and all forms of hate.
We honour the memory of those who have perished, as well as the survivors, whose stories serve as a solemn reminder of the dangers of indifference and inaction in the face of hatred. Babyn Yar is also a reminder of our individual and collective responsibilities to remember, to bear witness, to prevent and act against antisemitism and mass atrocity.
“Today, antisemitism is still very much alive. While its new and resurgent forms have changed the way that we fight against this warped ideology, Canada remains unwavering in its commitment to challenge antisemitism at home and abroad and to build more just and inclusive societies.
“The Government of Canada is committed to reinforcing and strengthening Canada’s efforts to advance Holocaust education, remembrance and research, and to combat antisemitism as key elements of the promotion and protection of human rights at home and abroad.
“The Government of Canada stands in solidarity with more than 390,000 members of the Jewish community in Canada and millions more across the globe, to echo these sentiments. Hate will not win.”