[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9965 of November 8, 2019

World Freedom Day, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Thirty years ago, the people of East and West Berlin came together to
tear down a symbol of totalitarianism. For more than 10,000 days, the
Berlin Wall stood as a troubling reminder of a deeply divided world, an
evil obstacle to freedom and individual liberty. When the wall finally
came down, it marked a triumphant defeat of communism, a monumental
victory for democratic principles, and a righteous end to

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the nearly five-decades-long Cold War. On World Freedom Day, we remember
those who suffered as they longed for freedom behind the Iron Curtain,
and we recognize those relentlessly fighting today to break free from
the shackles of oppression.
Any system of government that impedes the God-given rights of the people
is destined to fail because the flame of liberty cannot be extinguished.
As President Ronald Reagan said at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin,
``The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such
violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy,
to worship.'' On that fateful day in 1989, we saw--with every falling
piece of rubble--that the human impulse for freedom cannot long be
suppressed. Regimes that attempt to stop the free flow of ideas, the
right of a people to choose their own government, and the blessings of
free enterprise will inevitably suffer the same fate as the Berlin Wall.
While authoritarian powers seek to collapse the progress and alliances
that have developed in the three decades since the fall of the Berlin
Wall, the United States stands firm in our commitment to uphold the
democratic values at the bedrock of every free society. Today, our
Nation works in tandem with our allies and partners to safeguard the
precious freedoms that fuel prosperity and ensure stability around the
globe. Bad actors will continually try to weaken our cause and sow
discord, but democratic bonds will always prevail.
This World Freedom Day, we pay tribute to the heroes who helped liberate
Eastern and Central Europe from communist oppression, securing liberty
for millions. We also reaffirm our support of those everywhere who
pursue the noble cause of freedom.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 9, 2019, as
World Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, reaffirming
our dedication to freedom and democracy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP