The Victims of Communism – St. Louis Commission (VOC-STL) marked Victims of Communism Memorial Day on November 7th by hosting a local event that included the personal testimonies of a panel of witnesses, a film screening of First They Killed My Father, and expert training through an advocacy workshop designed to help St. Louisans educate others about the perils of communism.
**Note that this event was hosted in person, with city-approved social distancing guidelines in place to ensure participants’ safety. Masks were required and individuals sat 6 feet apart throughout the theater.
Featured Speakers
Dr. Giorgi Areshidze, Associate Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College
Channy Chhi Laux, survivor of the Cambodian genocide
Jason Chipman, Missouri House of Representatives
Kim McGrath, Victims of Communism – St. Louis Commission Director
Igor Proleiko, St. Louis resident born in the Soviet Union
Steven Roberts, Missouri Senate
“The communists showed the world how they operate the government. Within a year and a half, there was not a single person who was not a communist in the government and all their allies were either shot or put in concentration camps.” — Ignor Proleiko
“Four years under the communists to me was like 40 years of torture. The memory of suffering that I had still haunted me. Not so much about my own physical suffering but about witnessing how my family suffered through it.” — Channy Chhi Laux
