The social media accounts of Battersea Power Station have been slammed by Twitter users after attempting to honour Holocaust Memorial Day.
Last Thursday, the Twitter account of the iconic London landmark posted a photo of the building with the chimneys illuminated in purple.
The accompanying social media post said: "We’re lighting our chimneys purple this evening to take part in the #LightTheDarkness national moment today. On #HolocaustMemorialDay, we remember those who suffered and we stand against prejudice and hatred in the world today."
Screenshot 2022-02-01 at 09.30.41
The now-deleted tweet by Battersea Power Station (via Twitter)
The photo remained largely unnoticed until earlier this week when some Twitter users began to draw attention to the fact that chimneys are often associated with Nazi death camps.
Some Jewish Twitter users asked if any Jews were involved in the consultation process for the post, with others asking if anyone had thought through the move.
A spokesperson from Battersea Power Station said: “We were asked by Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to take part in the ‘Light the Darkness’ moment on Holocaust Memorial Day. This is a very important act of remembrance and we were pleased to take part for the second year in a row.
"We have taken the comments on board and we are looking forward to working with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on how we can take part next year.”
Other London landmarks that observed Holocaust Memorial Day included the Royal Albert Hall and the Houses of Parliament.
The Palace of Westminster has been lit up to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2022.
— UK Parliament (@UKParliament) January 27, 2022
Today with @HMD_UK, we remember those who were murdered for who they were, and stand against prejudice and hatred today.#HolocaustMemorialDay #LightTheDarkness pic.twitter.com/ac7mOGDxhZ
In a statement, Olivia Marks-Woldman, the Chief Executive of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, who organised the campaign said: "We approached Battersea Power Station to light up in purple as part of the national ‘Light the darkness’ moment for Holocaust Memorial Day.
"Over 150 different landmarks up and down the country lit up on the day – with a variety of buildings. Their chimneys were part of the many purple lights across London, including the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, BT Tower, The Gherkin, Natural History Museum, Southbank Centre and many more, and it was amazing to see each and every light up.
"The purple landmarks joined people across the UK who placed candles in their windows as part of the national moment. We will reflect on the comments people made, but hope that this doesn’t become a distraction from the beautiful collective effort for HMD.
"We know that survivors of Holocaust and other genocides appreciated and were moved by the ‘Light the darkness’ national moment."
