Speaking at the event, the prime minister called on the society to be united against the antisemitic forces still active in the country.
She said it was necessary to assess possible consequences of the ideas promoted by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Nemunas Dawn party standing for election to the Seimas.
„The hatred that destroyed millions of lives in the past is still alive. This hatred of otherness also fuels antisemitism in different parts of the world. (&) It is the reality we are forced to face in Lithuania as well. A politician who violates the Constitution by making antisemitic statements is standing for election to the nation’s representative body. He finds supporters. It is upon all of us today to realise the consequences the dissemination of such ideas can have for Lithuania and its society,“ Šimonytė said in the ceremony.
The prime minister said incitement to violence and hostility, including hatred based on nationality, is incompatible not only with the Constitution, not only with the interests of the country, but also with basic humanity.
„We cannot allow the shadows of the dark past to return to our daily lives. We must each stand up for humanity, for justice and against discrimination, as only in this way we are able to prevent new tragedies,“ Šimonytė stated.
The National Memorial Day for the Genocide Victims of the Lithuanian Jews is marked on 23 September as it was the day the Vilna Ghetto was liquidated 81 years ago.
On Monday, the Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Centre (LGGRTC) unveiled a commemorative plaque to honour the Antonovičiai family, the Righteous Among the Nations, in the courtyard of the Tuskulėnai Memorial. Jadvyga and Vincentas Antonovičiai and their daughter Lucyna hid and rescued Jews in Tuskulėnai Manor during World War Two.
The current Lithuania was homed to approximately 220,000 Jews before the war. Around 200,000 of them were murdered in the Holocaust. The largest numbers of Jews in Lithuania were killed in Paneriai near Vilnius, Šiauliai and the Alytus region.