Hundreds joined a memorial march in Paris on Saturday to honor the victims of Japanese fascism in China, particularly those killed in the Nanjing Massacre, in an event organized by the association Echoes of the World.
Despite a heatwave across France, participants gathered at the Trocadero Esplanade, also known as the Parvis des Droits de l’Homme, carrying banners that read "Never forget history, preserve peace," "In memory of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre," and "Japan must permanently abandon rearmament."
Bastien Ratat, co‑founder of Echoes of the World, said the group chose Paris for Saturday's memorial march because of its timing and symbolic setting.
"We are organizing this march today in Paris because it is the right time to do it. We live abroad. We do many activities. We went to Japan; we went to Korea; and now it is the right time to go to France. Today is an important day. The location is also steeped in history. We started at the Place des Droits de l'Homme and we are now heading to Place Victor-Hugo for China," Ratat said.
Throughout the march, association leaders took turns at the microphone, recounting the atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army against Chinese civilians, particularly during the Nanjing Massacre, a tragic chapter of history still largely unknown to the French public.
Marcus Detrez, another co-founder, stressed the importance of raising awareness beyond Europe.
"I think the French are busy educating their younger generations in diverse ways, but always in a very ethnocentric and Euro-centric manner. That's why we organize this kind of activity - to make it much more widely known. A genocide is a genocide. It is not an incident; it is not an accident; it is a genocide. So it must be recognized by as many people as possible. Only then can we cooperate easily with China," Detrez said.
Starting from Trocadero, participants marched to Place Victor-Hugo, where they observed a minute of silence in memory of the Nanjing Massacre victims, a solemn tribute meant to underscore the importance of remembrance and the preservation of peace.
Zhong Haosong, another co-founder of the association, explained the deeper meaning behind the event.
"What we want to say is that today's peace was not easily achieved. We want to plant this seed of peace because many people take peace for granted. Yet it is the result of immense efforts. That is why we remind people that this history belongs to the shared memory of humanity. We hope that all of humanity will join this great movement: to remember history, to cherish peace, and to build the future," Zhong said.
Participants took turns writing messages on a banner in support of the initiative. After Paris, the commemoration will continue in Marseille on July 4.
Memorial march in Paris for Nanjing Massacre, urges remembrance
