Tribute to victims of Holocaust

Bradford's Lord Mayor joined church and community leaders at a moving and dignified open air ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust.

Tribute was yesterday paid to victims of the atrocity at a ceremony organised by the Bradford Trades Union Council and supported by Hope Not Hate Yorkshire. The event began when up to 50 official guests gathered at the Mechanics Institute in Eccleshill. They made their way to the local Cenotaph for a memorial tribute at noon. Lord Mayor Robin Owens attended, along with Council, community and church representatives.

The commemoration included readings of poetry and memoirs of the Holocaust. The Lord Mayor delivered a reading and the ceremony concluded with a Jewish prayer to victims of the Holocaust.

The event is traditionally held in April but it was postponed this year.

October 7, 1944 was the date prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland rebelled on their way to the gas chambers. The uprising led to the Gestapo murdering almost all of the several hundred prisoners involved.

The Holocaust commemoration has been held in the city since 1995 when an event took place to mark the 50th anniversary of VE Day. It aims to remember all those discriminated against by Fascism. Paul Meszaros, spokesman for the TUC and Hope Not Hate Yorkshire, said it had not yet been decided which month to hold next year's commemoration.

"It is an extremely important event for the Trades Union movement in Bradford and in Yorkshire. We find ourselves on the front line in the struggle against Fascism today and it is very important that we learn the lessons about where intolerance and racism can lead to," he said.

Chairman of Bradford Unison, Brian Forster, said: "Unison is delighted to support this event. We need to remember the lessons of the past and make sure that this can never happen again."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus