News feeds
Email news|
Holocaust refugee takes on the British Government over costs of Olympic Games |
| Written by michael molden | |
| Friday, 19 October 2007 | |
|
Walter Kress, the author of the acclaimed book From the Holocaust To The Highlands; which tells of how he and his family miraculously escaped from the Nazis, has taken on the full might of the British Goverment for what he believes is a blatent infringement of his basic human rights and that of his fellow Londoners, over the enforced charges on the citizens of the capital to pay for the Olympic Games. He is particularly enraged over the devastating impact these charges are having on the aged and the poor. Walter Kress the author and veteran human rights campaigner has taken on the full might of the British Government over what he describes as the unfair and extortionate cost to Londoners of the 2012 Olympic Games. Mr Kress who wrote an account of his families’ miraculous escape from Nazi oppression in 1938 which was published to great acclaim earlier this year, entitled ‘From the Holocaust to the Highlands’ has taken up the baton of his famous uncle Adolf Unger—also an author—who was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz on November 13th 1942 for speaking out and condemning their bloody regime.Mr Kress, now in his late seventies, has so far chained himself to the railings of Enfield’s council offices and more spectacularly to the railings of city hall in the capital. He has also disrupted council meetings to voice his protests and chained himself to the railings at the plush offices of the mayor of London, Mr Ken Livingstone. He said: “My uncle won a literary prize for his poetry which highlighted the struggle of the oppressed; he stood up for and died to maintain the right of every human being to speak out against an obvious wrong; and in the case of the cost of the Olympic Games it is unquestionably wrong. It seems to me that the country has bought into the hyped up euphoria of Great Britain hosting the 2012 Olympics. No one has stopped to think that the costs of hosting such an event are being laid at the door of a minority of ordinary folk in the immediate area of London. The people of London are being forced to pay higher community charges to foot the bill when the rest of Great Britain is unaffected, how can this be fair and just? The government has been cowardly in not having the moral courage to spread the costs to everyone and in particular to businesses which will benefit directly, such as merchandise manufacturers, hoteliers and television companies. The price of doing that would have cost the government precious votes, so they took the easy option and picked on the vulnerable. Thousands of frail pensioners in the London area are being forced to endure inhuman hardships in the coming years to pay for an event that some of us will never live long enough to enjoy. The cost of the Olympics will not just be measured in financial terms; added to those figures will be the misery and hardship of the elderly and the poor. Some people will say that I’m crazy for taking on the might of the British government and perhaps my defiance will not make a difference, but I will continue to throw my pebble of freedom and democracy at the tanks of oppression and dictatorship because so many fine people—civilians and allied soldiers—fought and died during that catastrophic period leading up to and during the second world war to give me that basic human right.” Adolf Unger, the uncle of Walter Kress has since been posthumously recognised for his courage in speaking out against the Nazi regime—an act that cost him his life and that of his young wife. In 1969 there was a street named after him in Vienna and in 1997 a plaque was unveiled at the house where he was born. Mr Kress will lead a mass protest on October 24th in London to demonstrate against the ill-conceived plans to fund the Olympics. It is fitting that the date of his protest falls sixty five years almost to the week of his uncle’s murder. Members of the press and media can contact Mr Kress on 02088-077700 |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Sponsored Links
.
Agriculture Automotive Books / Publishing Books /Publishing Business Computer Consumer Design Education Employment/Careers Engineering Environment Events/ Trade shows Finance/Money Gaming Government Home and Family Industry Insurance Latest News Legal and Law Lifestyle Maritime Media Medical Misc Music News Non Profit Politics Religion Science and research Self Help Society Sports Technology Telecoms News Trade Transportation Travel/Hospitality Wine
Bookmark with:
What are these?