Fall of the Berlin Wall Anniversary

At Toronto City Hall’s Nathan Phillips Square on November 9, the event under the Freedom Arches, “Fall of the Wall ‘09: Celebrating the Triumph of Human Liberty” recognised the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The following are excerpts of the address delivered by Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP – Etobicoke Centre.

We are celebrating the victory of freedom and democracy over totalitarianism and communism; an evil ideology spawned by The Kremlin which enslaved over 20 nations, devoured tens of millions of lives, and destroyed the human spirit and dignity of hundreds of millions enslaved behind its “curtain of iron” ...

The Wall, the Curtain not only enslaved; they were a veil behind which the most  horrific crimes against humanity were committed against millions of the best, the most talented, the most free-spirited, the most courageous sons and daughters of the nations enslaved.

In acknowledging the 45 years of darkness, let us also not forget how it came to be.

It began with two divisions of Europe, the first the Molotov-Ribbentrop [Pact], the accord which caused WWII; and then the Yalta Accord which resulted in the 45-year Cold War and its millions of human victims.

It was the Yalta “appeasement” of “Uncle Joe” Stalin that divided Europe into zones of influence, the West and the East, the free and the enslaved; that led to the Wall and the Iron Curtain.

Today, as we stand shoulder to shoulder in celebrating freedom, let us pledge to never again allow Europe to be divided, let us reject the so-called “near abroad” and those who would appease The Kremlin …

Europe must embrace the nations of the East who so clearly strive for freedom and democracy, as was demonstrated by the will of the people during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. Europe must embrace them into their institutions; NATO, the EU …

Let us stand firm so that every child born in Europe, whether in Portugal or in Georgia, whether in France or Ukraine, is born into a Europe united in democracy and freedom and its consequential prosperity.

Long live democracy, long live freedom!