From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 6, 2024
A few activists at Auschwitz wave Palestinian flags and claim genocide in Gaza
Cnaan Lidor is The Times of Israel's Jewish World reporter
Surrounded by Polish police, nine activists wave Palestinian flags flanked by a banner that reads “Stop genocide in Gaza” near the entrance to the museum at Auschwitz as thousands of Jewish students march in commemoration of the Holocaust.
The participants of the March of the Living respond with a thunderous singing of “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, and with jeering.
The anti-Israel activists waving Palestinian flags, some of them wearing a keffiyeh covering their face, shout: “Free, free Palestine.” One of them holds a bundle of helium balloons in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
One protester lectures the marchers through an amplification system. “How dare you disrespect the victims of the Holocaust by cheering, as a new genocide is happening in Gaza. Your mothers are watching you! Show some respect,” she shouts, adding: “Ceasefire now!”
The International March of the Living in a statement says: “The half a dozen protestors who perversely saw this as an opportunity to voice hatred against Israel and the Jewish people serve as a timely reminder of the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance, and of teaching the dangers of hatred and extremism.“
