Long ignored, Roma genocide mourned 75 years on at Auschwitz

The American civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is gathering with survivors at the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau to commemorate an often forgotten genocide — that of the Roma people.

In addition to the 6 million Jews killed in camps such as Auschwitz, the Nazis killed other minorities during World War II, including between 250,000 and 500,000 Roma.

Other dignitaries set to attend Friday’s observances are German deputy foreign minister, Michael Roth, who ahead of his visit lamented the lack of broad knowledge about the systematic murder of the Roma communities during World War II.

Roth said: “For too long we have … allowed the largest ethnic minority in Europe to be pushed to the margins of our society.”