Alar Karis on Day of Mourning: Ideologies that justify violence still exist

On Sunday, June 14, Estonia remembered the tragic events of 1941. 85 years ago, the first mass deportation began – about ten thousand Estonian residents were sent to Siberia and northern regions of Russia. In Tallinn, victims were honored at the memorial in Pääsküla, which sculptor Tõnu Maarand dedicated 35 years ago to all those whose lives ended behind barbed wire. At noon, about 600 representatives of the repressed gathered at the Rose Garden in Kadriorg at the invitation of President Alar Karis to remember the injustice that must not be repeated. "That is why we must remember the past, because the very crimes committed by the occupiers against our people and the intimidation mechanisms continue to operate in the modern world. Ideologies that always find justification for violence still exist. Open lies and demagogy are still spread to realize evil. And unfortunately, there are always those who believe it or simply choose to close their eyes. Dear people, let us take care of each other and take care of free Estonia," Karis urged.