THE importance of marking International Holocaust Day was highlighted on Tuesday (27 January) when vandals tried to ruin the event in Grays, daubing an acid swastika on the town’s memorial.
The police were informed and the vandalism cleared away before more than a hundred people – young and old – went to the High View Memorial Gardens at the corner of Palme’s Avenue and High View Avenue to mark the 70 anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – the place where more than a million people were murdered.
Prayers from various faiths, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish as well as Christianity were said and the crown also heard from communities portfolio holder Cllr Richard Speight and leader if the opposition group, Cllr Rob Gledhill.
Cllr Gledhill said: “When any group in society joins together and starts to blame others for what they see as ‘the cause of all their problems’, when they blame those who follow a different religion or those of no faith for problems within their society, when they group together shunning others in the community then the seeds of genocide are still present and must do what we can to ensure they do not germinate.”
And Cllr Speight said: “Today is a day where Thurrock as a community can come together to remember those who lost their lives not because of what they did or had done, but for who they were.
“The victims of these genocides committed no crimes. They were people like us. Their only crime was to be different, and to be persecuted for that difference.
“Once a year we say ‘never forget’ and ‘never again’ but we need to remember that the road to the horrors of Auschwitz, of Rwanda, of Srebnica and many – too many – others, begins with small steps of intolerance.”
Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Steve Liddiard opened the event by saying: “It is incumbent upon each and every one of us who is just one step removed from these horrors to make sure the younger people today know – and more importantly understand – what happened.
“Each and every one of those deaths was – and is – a tragedy. Each one should make us say “never again” and each one should bear down on our conscience when we ignore it happening again.”
Afterwards, Cllr Speight added: “It is a timely reminder that there are thoughtless idiots among us today who think they can ruin such a moving ceremony.
“The fact that they failed is important; the fact that they tried shows why it is all the more important that we right-thinking people continue to make our views known and continue to hold this ceremony year after year.”
Essex Police have issued the following statement: “Police have been made aware that some offensive graffiti was placed on the Holocaust Memorial in Palmers Rest Garden, Grays. It was reported to police by Thurrock Council. The graffiti has been removed. It is thought to have been placed there someone time between 5pm on Monday, January 26, and 9am on Tuesday, January 27.
“Anybody with any information about this incident is asked to contact Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 290 of January 27.
“People can also give information to the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through an Anonymous Online Form at crimestoppers-uk.org”
