Auschwitz memorial denounces video posted by US congressman from inside former gas chamber
Published July 5, 2017
(JTA) — The Auschwitz memorial condemned a Louisiana congressman for filming inside a former gas chamber.
Clay Higgins, a Republican, posted a five-minute video to YouTube on Tuesday in which he narrated inside the Nazi concentration camp.
“A great sense of dread comes over you in this place,” Higgins said in the video. “Man’s inhumanity to man can be quite shocking.”
The congressman also spoke about national security since the time of the Holocaust. He stated how important it is that the United States is “protected from the evils of the world.”
In response, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum sent out some tweets criticizing Higgins for using the space.
“Everyone has the right to personal reflections,” the first tweet read. “However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It’s not a stage.”
A later tweet included a picture of a plaque that reads “You are in a building where the SS murdered thousands of people. Please maintain silence here: remember their suffering and show respect for their memory.”
Higgins’ office did not respond to a request from JTA seeking comment.
