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This year’s International Day against Fascism and Antisemitsm is once more taking place on November 9th, commemorating the “Kristallnacht” pogrom of 1938, which marked the beginning of the world’s largest genocide, later known as the Holocaust. It was on November 9th, 1938 that the fascist Nazi Party initiated the systematic eradication of Jewish people by destroying their homes and belongings as well as setting synagogues on fire, injuring and killing many Jews in the process. The broken windows of Jewish shops and the glass pieces all over the city eventually let this night go down in history as “The night of Broken Glass”. What started as discrimination and exclusion soon turned into the murder of 6 million Jews and 5.5 million “enemies of the German state”, including homosexuals, criminals and members of diverse religious communities as well as people with mental disabilities, political opponents and minorities. The Holocaust did not happen overnight; it was rather a gradual downwards spiral, developed step by step and only effective due to the ubiquitous silent acceptance and support of the broad majority.

While in 1945, the world thought to have annihilated any fascist remnants in Europe and sworn to never let something like this occur again, fascist and xenophobic ideologies managed to survive and are now, once more, sprouting in politics worldwide. Despite fascism not being carried out in such an apparent way anymore, it is still omnipresent, dressed up in the rise of right-wing nationalism, the opportunistic identification of various “threats”, the creation of new scapegoats and an acquiescing and motionless society.

Since 1992 the European network “UNITED for Intercultural action” fights against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees. With its 2017 campaign “Let’s say it louder: NEVER AGAIN!”, the network once more asks organizations, individuals and communities all over the world to join in on the fight against fascism and confront hate by taking action. It is now more important than ever, to ensure that persecution, oppression and discrimination by totalitarian regimes cannot manifest and that never again, really means never again.

Pia Winter