Vandalism of sign commemorating victims of communism is 'deplorable', Ukrainian Canadian Congress states
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has condemned the “desecration” of a sign at the entrance to a memorial being built to honour the memory of the millions who died at the hands of communism.
Vandals spray-painted “Communism will win” and three hammers and sickles — the symbol for communism — across the sign at the proposed Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Ottawa.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) tweeted a photo of the damaged sign.
“That this site was desecrated through this act of hate is unacceptable and deplorable, and an insult to the hallowed memory of the millions of innocent victims of communism,” said a UCC statement.
“This is a reminder to us all of the need for further education and awareness in our own society about the evil and crimes of Communism.”
Ihor Michalchyshyn, the executive director and CEO of the UCC, said, “It’s very shocking. It’s disturbing that it was done on Canada Day. It’s disgraceful this kind of monument would be a target for people.”
The UCC’s statement said the vandalized sign has been removed and Ottawa police contacted.
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The memorial is under construction and is set to be unveiled in fall 2020. The memorial will be located in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories.
It will serve as “a public reminder to the millions of victims of communism, and will bring the suffering of these victims into the public’s conscience.”
Tribute to Liberty is the charity overseeing the building of the memorial. Tribute to Liberty was established in 2008 to advocate for a Canadian memorial commemorating the victims of communism.
The charity posted a tweet criticizing the vandalism.
“Communism always fails,” said the tweet. “Communism kills but also gives birth to a plentiful number of the useful idiots in Canada and beyond. The Memorial isn’t completed yet but that didn’t stop some moron from insulting the memory of our heroes on Canada Day.”
Communism is considered one of the deadliest ideologies ever implemented. About 100 million people have been killed in communist countries in the last 100 years.