West Ham United marked Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 by lighting up London Stadium on Wednesday in memory of the millions of innocent victims of genocide.
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27 January each year, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi extermination camp, and remembers the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in genocide around the world.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 is ‘be the light in the darkness’, which encourages reflection on the ways individuals and communities resisted the darkness to ‘be the light’ before, during and after genocide.
In recognition of this, the external screen at London Stadium was illuminated in purple, the colour universally associated with Holocaust Memorial Day, as were a number of other iconic landmarks across the United Kingdom, including the Palace of Westminster, Wembley Stadium, Blackpool Tower, The Tyne Bridge, Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall.
Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity each year for people around the country to stand together with those in their local community, across boundaries of faith, age and ethnicity.
With the country currently under a national lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual ceremony was held online led by HRH The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In addition to supporting this message of inclusivity and tolerance, West Ham United is proud to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
West Ham United become the second Premier League club, after Chelsea, to adopt the IHRA definition, doing so in in January 2020.
West Ham United is unequivocal in its stance and has always taken a zero-tolerance policy to any form of discrimination. Equality and diversity is at the heart of the Football Club and we are committed to continue ensuring that everyone who enters London Stadium is free to enjoy watching their team play football in an inclusive environment.
