The 8th May Coalition commemorated the end of Second World War in 1945 with its third yearly memorial event at Fort Breendonk, located in the province of Antwerp on Sunday.
The organisation advocates for the official recognition of 8th May as a holiday to preserve the memory of the victims of Nazi terror.
The 8th May Coalition is a collaboration of trade unions, community organisations and individuals, alongside representatives from the cultural and academic sectors.
As they wait for their aim of official holiday recognition to be realised, they transform the Sunday before 8th May into a large commemoration day, with speeches, readings, theatrical performances, flower-laying ceremonies, and tours of Fort Breendonk.
An additional event to note is the reading marathon "These are the Names", which commences on Monday at Fort Breendonk, and is organised by the non-profit organization Helden van het Verzet from Monday evening, 6 May at 18:00 to Wednesday evening, 8 May 20:00.
Over the course of two days, a variety of well-known and lesser-known speakers will read out the names of the thousands of Belgian resistance fighters who died during the Second World War. This includes individuals who were executed or tortured to death by Nazis, or those who perished in concentration camps. The event will also be live streamed.
