Day and night, we policemen serve our communities. During shifts, we see what crime, and especially antisemitic crime, does to humans. And we have to fight these crimes to give the communities what they deserve: security and a protected life. This mission became harder and harder after October 7, 2023.
Holocaust denial is one of these crimes we have to fight because it's on the rise, especially among young people on social media. In order for us police officers to remain vigilant and aware of the history and responsibility of police work to protect people, we must also actively deal with the past and engage at places of horror, like Auschwitz or Birkenau. The March of the Living is one of these possibilities to engage and stand side by side with survivors, families, friends, and communities. Delegations from all over the world joined the march, over 8000 are coming to Auschwitz and will leave Auschwitz in freedom again. A policeman and a policewoman in uniform are part of that march. That is special because wearing a uniform and being present in the death camps gives you a hard understanding of what a uniform does to people. In the death camps, a uniform didn't give you the feeling of being secured. The opposite was the case.
This police delegation from all over the world, the largest in the history of the March of the Living, will allow us the opportunity to walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, not only to remember, but to affirm that our service is grounded in justice, accountability, and the protection of all people. The program, 80 years after the liberation of the death camp, provides an unprecedented occasion for us to reflect, learn, and take actionable steps to ensure accountability and ethical leadership within each of our different police organizations.
As Germans born far after 1945, we are well-educated on the crimes of our ancestors, having visited memorials and studied the Holocaust extensively. Yet, experiencing the International March of the Living brought a profound and insightful perspective, reinforcing the importance of "never again, not on our watch."
