England Unveils First Permanent Roma Holocaust Memorial

England has unveiled its first permanent public memorial dedicated to Roma victims of the Holocaust outside Newcastle City Council's headquarters, honoring both the victims of Nazi genocide and local soldiers who helped liberate concentration camps. The memorial recognizes the estimated 500,000 Roma and Sinti people murdered during World War II and aims to educate future generations to combat ongoing prejudice and racism against the Roma community. The unveiling coincided with the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on August 2, which commemorates the mass murder of Roma at Auschwitz-Birkenau and is officially recognized since 2015. European leaders, including the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, reaffirmed their commitment to remembrance, education, and fighting antigypsyism, emphasizing that remembrance must lead to action against hate speech and discrimination. Both the European Commission and Council of Europe highlighted initiatives like the "RomaMemory" program and strategic action plans to promote inclusion and protect Roma rights. The memorial and international commemorations serve as powerful reminders of the atrocities committed and the need to uphold human dignity and justice.