Hundreds attend Brisbane rally to stand with Ukrainians following the Russian invasion
Hundreds of people from a multitude of nationalities turned up to stand with Ukrainians at a rally hosted by the Ukrainian Community of Queensland on Sunday.
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Hundreds of people from a multitude of nationalities turned up to stand with Ukrainians at a rally hosted by the Ukrainian Community of Queensland on Sunday.
Gathered in King George Square on Roma St, Brisbane city, people were calling for a no fly-zone to be instated, governments across the world to continue to apply pressure by sanctioning Russia, and reminding Australian’s that this is Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war, not a reflection of all Russian sentiment.
Russia invaded the country on February 24, in an escalation of the Russia-Ukrainian War that began in 2014.
Yuliia Chertovskykh, a Ukrainian woman who’s family remains in Ukraine, said despite her best efforts to convince her family to leave, they want to remain in their country to fight.
“(My mother) she doesn’t want to (to leave). She said, I’m a doctor, I want to live in my country and she will help Ukrainian people who are (still) living there,” she said.
“All my aunts, my brothers, my uncles, my father now in the military are volunteering … are preparing, are running with guns, trying to save people.”
“Some of them, they are very proud to be Ukrainian and they want to save Ukraine.”
Nancy Lachner, a German who has lived in Australia for the past decade, said this issue should alert everyone, not only those in Europe, and cautioned that this was ‘Putin’s war.’
“I just want to reiterate that it’s Putin’s war. I think the majority of the Russians are not supporting it and Putin makes it harder and harder for them to speak out and to be on the right side of the fence,” she said.
“There is nothing that can justify an invasion.”
A number of those at the rally, held in front of the Brisbane City Hall, said people needed to keep putting pressure on the Russian community to show which country most of the world supported.
Originally from Finland, Markus Kurkela said he was at the rally especially to show the Russian community that he is supporting Ukraine.
“If there are more Ukrainians demonstrating than Russians, it means that they are failing because the Russian community must inform the people in Russia on what is happening. They must pass on the information,” he said.
“Politicians are now only doing something because people are reacting.”
Brisbane showed its solidarity with the people of Ukraine by turning lights out at key landmarks on February 24.
Originally published as Hundreds attend Brisbane rally to stand with Ukrainians following the Russian invasion
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