By Ebi Kesiena
Pro-Ukraine protests erupted across the world on Saturday, as thousands took to the streets from London to Rome to Barcelona to denounce Russia’s assault on its neighbour.
Moscow’s invasion has sparked global outcry and prompted punishing sanctions from the West, including some against Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
On Saturday, rallies were held in cities across the world to join the chorus of condemnation and urge an end to the bloodshed.
Switzerland saw thousands of people gather across the country, including about 1,000 outside the United Nations’ European headquarters in Geneva.
Demonstrators draped in Ukraine’s national colours of blue and yellow flocked to the “Broken Chair” a large sculpture symbolising the civilian victims of war. The protesters demanded tougher actions from the government, which has so far shied away from imposing strict measures, choosing instead to stick closer to its traditional “neutral” stance.
Swiss-based Russians joined in to show their opposition to the war, holding signs saying “I am Russian”.
In Russia’s neighbour Finland, thousands of people gathered in the capital Helsinki shouting “Russia out, down with Putin!”
More than 1,000 demonstrators answered the call of trade unions and NGOs in central Rome, huddling around a podium bearing the words “Against War”.
Maria Sergi, a 40-year-old Russian-born Italian, said “We’ve always been close to the Ukrainian people. Our feeling of powerlessness is huge,”
In the southern French cities of Montpellier and Marseille, hundreds marched on Saturday chanting “Stop war, stop Putin”, while further protests were also expected in Paris.
According to local police, anti-war demonstrators were also out in force in Barcelona, numbering around 1,000 on Saturday.
In Georgia, almost 30,000 people hit the streets of Tbilisi, waving Ukrainian and Georgian flags and singing both countries’ national anthems.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine resonates strongly in Georgia, a fellow ex-Soviet republic that suffered a devastating Russian invasion in 2008.
We have sympathy for the Ukrainians, perhaps more than other countries, because we’ve experienced Russia’s barbaric aggression on our soil,” Niko Tvauri, a 32-year-old taxi driver, told AFP.
Teacher Meri Tordia added: “Ukraine is bleeding, the world watches and talks about sanctions that won’t stop Putin.”
More protests were reported in Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki on Saturday.
The shockwaves from Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour have reverberated beyond Europe.
In Argentina, Ukrainians and Argentines with Ukrainian ancestry were among the almost 2,000 people who descended on Russia’s embassy in Buenos Aires on Friday.
Wreathed in Ukrainian flags and wearing traditional Ukrainian clothing, protesters bore signs in Spanish, English and Ukrainian demanding a Russian withdrawal. They chanted “Glory to Ukraine, glory to its heroes” and the national anthems of Argentina and Ukraine.
Protests also took place in New York, Washington, Taiwan and Brazil.
