Northern Ireland marks Holocaust Memorial Day 2025

Among the dignitaries in attendance were First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. The regional commemoration was a collaboration between The Executive Office, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and Belfast City Council.

Invited guests watched a video message from Holocaust survivor Peter Lantos BEM, who spoke movingly about the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust, as well as the horrors he personally endured. Peter, who was deported to a concentration camp with his family in 1944, was unable to attend in person due to travel disruptions caused by bad weather.

In his message, he shared: ‘As a Holocaust survivor, having been child prisoner 8431 in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, the message I have is one of hope. In the darkest of times, we should not lose our faith in a better future.’

Students from various Northern Ireland schools participated in special readings, and the ceremony concluded with a poignant duet of an Irish Blessing performed by pupils from Priory Integrated College.

Advocating for anti-prejudice

This year’s event also marked the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. Munira Subasic, President of the Association of the ‘Mother’s Action of the Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves’ (Bosnia and Herzegovina), delivered a powerful speech, urging people to recognise the atrocities that took place.

She shared her personal loss: ‘In the space of a week or two, 8,372 Muslim men and boys were killed, including my son, my husband, and 22 members of my family. We know there is nothing we can do or say to bring them back, but we can talk about the need for acknowledgment, understanding the needs of victims, and advocating for anti-prejudice practices to prevent others from suffering the same fate.’

To commemorate the anniversary, a collaboration between young people from the 30th Belfast (Gilnahirk) Scout Group, Ballyhanwood Explorer Scout Unit, and second-year Commercial Photography and Videography students from Belfast Metropolitan College resulted in a powerful documentary, Srebrenica: Thirty Years Later. The film, which bridges generations, was screened at the ceremony to ensure the lessons of Srebrenica are remembered.

Additionally, more than 20 buildings across Northern Ireland participated in the Light the Darkness campaign. Among them, the striking architecture of Parliament Buildings at Stormont (banner image) was illuminated in purple to mark HMD 2025.

Watch the ceremony from Belfast City Hall:

Banner image: Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, lit in purple to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. © Northern Ireland Assembly