International March of the Living condemns, in the strongest terms, the recent act of vandalism in which anti-Semitic statements were sprayed on some of the wooden barracks at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This blatant act of hatred, in the world’s largest site of mass murder – where over 1 million Jews were murdered – is a grim reminder of the urgent need for Holocaust education and for the continuance of educational trips for young people, of all religions and backgrounds, to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In April 2022 on Holocaust Remembrance Day, should COVID-19 guidelines permit, International March of the Living hopes to bring students and adults from around the world to the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where we will once again march together against racism and intolerance and for peace and mutual understanding.

Our mission has never been more urgent.