From Berlin to Sydney, global outpouring of support for Ukraine
REUTERS
In a sea of blue and yellow flags and banners smeared with blood red handprints, protesters around the world showed support for Ukraine in late February 2022 and called on governments to do more to help Kyiv, punish Russia and avoid a broader conflict.
Several hundred people marched through heavy rain in Sydney, Australia, chanting, “Ukraine will prevail,” while protesters in Tokyo called for Russia to be expelled from the United Nations Security Council for the assault on its neighbor. (Pictured: Protesters hold signs and banners during a February 26, 2022, rally in Tokyo against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.)
Thousands of people also took to the streets in Europe, with protesters — including many Ukrainians living abroad — in Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom draping themselves in flags and holding “Stop the war” placards.
A rally that organizers estimated to number 20,000 people was held in the Swiss capital of Bern, where the Ukrainian flag flew over the seat of the city council.
About 1,000 people protested outside the Russian embassy in the Romanian capital Bucharest, expressing anger at Russian leader Vladimir Putin for an unprovoked attack on Ukraine. They chanted, “Putin the assassin.”
An activist smeared an embassy sign with red handprints that were a feature at rallies in several countries. A protester threw eggs before riot police intervened.
“Somehow, together with everybody, with all the countries in Europe and … all the world, we need to stop” Putin, said Abramov Kiril, a 33-year-old Ukrainian living in Romania who said the European Union and NATO should help more.
“If they will not stop him in Ukraine, he will go forward,” said Kiril, who has grandparents in southern Ukraine.
Some called for the Swiss government to take tougher action against Russia and Putin. They said Putin ordered the invasion not to occupy territory but to destroy Ukraine’s military capabilities and capture dissenters.
In Istanbul, Ukrainians living in Turkey sang their national anthem and held banners with images of bloody handprints.
“My family is in Kyiv region, and they are attacking Kyiv today. I don’t know what to do, what to think. I am calling them every 10 to 15 minutes,” a protester who gave her name as Victoria said.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the U.N. headquarters in Geneva, carrying signs such as “Make Ukraine a member of NATO now” and “Say no to Putin.”
“I’m here because I’m extremely ashamed for my country of birth,” said Valery Bragar, a native Russian who has lived in Switzerland for 15 years and is now a Swiss citizen.
The protests came on the heels of other demonstrations worldwide, including in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Peru, where protesters chanted, “Long live Ukraine.
In Russia too, anti-war campaigners have defied warnings from the authorities to voice their anger. Police on February 24 detained more than 1,600 Russian protesters.
Several hundred Japanese, Russian and Ukrainian protesters gathered in the busy Shibuya shopping district in central Tokyo, many with their children and holding Ukrainian flags, chanting, “Stop the war” and “Stop Putin” in Japanese and English.
“I just want to say, ‘Putin stop this, regain your sanity,’” said Hiroshi Sawada, a 58-year-old musician.
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS
