Black Ribbon Day 2017

A NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBERANCE FOR THE VICTIMS OF SOVIET COMMUNISM AND NAZI TYRANNY IN EUROPE

Black Ribbon Day, August 23, was formally adopted as a Canadian Day of National Remembrance for the Victims of Nazi and Communist Totalitarianism in Europe after a resolution introduced by Bob Rae was adopted unanimously by Canada’s Parliament in 2009.

The annual event recalls the signing of the 1939 friendship treaty between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, which facilitated and triggered the Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939. The pact secretly carved up Central and Eastern Europe between Stalin and Hitler and was the formal start to the Second World War.

Other commemorations will take place in Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and Montreal.

“ In these unstable times, we once again see the rise of extremism and totalitarianism, be it rogue nations invading their neighbours’ territories, threatening other nations with the same, terrorizing innocent civilians or undermining democracies with technological and psychological warfare. With disinformation and fake news, they are eroding the historical memory, in fact, altering history. Millions of Canadian families will not forget the horror and suffering imposed upon their homelands by Nazi and Soviet Russian occupation regimes. They will not forget the truth, “ said Andris Ķesteris, President of the Central and Eastern European Council.

Black Ribbon Day was organized in the 1980’s by members of the Central and Eastern European communities in Canada to protest the ongoing communist occupation of Central and Eastern European states. The movement spread to the United States, Europe and other countries around the world.

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For more information please contact Marcus Kolga at marcuskolga@gmail.com