Can VE day be politicised?

[mids2019]

Is VE day mainly being celebrated by white people with ancestors that were present in the UK during the conflict?

Of course commonwealth soldiers from India etc. we're involved but that involvement could be viewed as a byproduct of colonisation.

It seems a complex theme in some ways in a diverse Britain in 2025 and I wonder if this particular event has the same weight as for previous generations.

That's a very UK centric view. It is widely commemorated within continental Europe, where many countries were actually under occupation and saw their populations decimated and murdered.

Where I am currently, it is a really big thing. Lots of commemoration events, everyone turns out to pay their respects, not only to the armed forces, but also the civilians and resistance fighters, from school children, locals, the Town Hall staff & Mayor, veterans, Police force and Fire Brigade. We actually have two commemorations, 8th May, but also 15 August which is when all the allied troops and free troops landed on the beaches here.

How do you think it is being politicised? To what end?

I think the very nature of the event is political - VE Day commemorates the victory of nations against an ideology and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Now I think it’s political in the same sense as November 11- those not taking part or acknowledging the day (poppy wearing for example) are somehow castigated. If a party or politician did not show respect then I think it would reflect badly as it is seen as a social norm.

i agree that the contribution of other non- European nations can be overlooked however you need to take into context that after WWII many of these nations fought for and got their independence - so this is probably more important to them.

Equally VE Day in Eastern Europe was/is not a cause for celebration as most states swapped Nazi German occupation for Soviet occupation

I think May 8 is very much a Western celebration and always has been political really - in some countries it is more a remembrance event.

One example is obviously the advance of the red army helped end we2 and Russia has important celebrations and at the moment it wouldn't be PC to acknowledge those contributions to openly for obvious reasons.

here I saw Nigel Farage giving a speech hailing a veterans organisation so gaining a little pitch to his constituency. I noted in my public sector workplace and local schools celebrations were a bit muted and there is an obvious generational difference in interest.

We have learnt nothing from either world world or at least not enough. The rise of the far right and all the religious, immigrant and trans hatred is scarily similar to back then so celebrating VE day seems so wrong.

Anything can be politicised and war/celebrating the end of war is definitely politicised.