Many Ukrainians were among the demonstrators who gathered at Place de la République in Paris on Saturday to protest against the war in Ukraine. All say they are shocked and very worried.
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Yellow and blue flags in the colors of Ukraine, placards asking “Stop the War” (“stop the war” in French)… From Marseille to Strasbourg via Paris, thousands of people demonstrated in France on Saturday February 26 to protest against the Russian offensive in Ukraine and show their support for the Kiev regime. Among the few thousand demonstrators gathered in Place de la République, in the capital, tense faces. These are, for many, those of the Ukrainians who live in France.
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They are stunned by the Russian invasion. “Until the end, we didn’t believe it. We thought it could be blackmail, a kind of bluff”explains Olga, Ukrainian in her twenties, Ukrainian flag on her shoulders. “I was really shocked when I saw the first video on social media.
“I stared at my phone for hours. I didn’t believe this day was really going to come.”
Loredana, Ukrainian living in Franceat franceinfo
Katerina, a student in Paris who came with several friends who are also Ukrainians, testifies to the same feeling of incomprehension. All of them watch day and night for news of their families who have remained in Ukraine. Katerina says manifest “so that the European Union and NATO [les] help”. “We are next to Europe. How can we live peacefully if there are people dying there? How can we close our eyes and tell ourselves that we are not in Ukraine, that this country not part of NATO?she asks, struggling to hide her tears and her anger.
All of them have their cell phones in hand to inform their relatives of the mobilization in France. Countering Russian propaganda has also become Loredana’s mission. “I share as much as possible so that everyone sees what is really happening in order to avoid false information. I try to support my friends, my family and the Ukrainian people. We are doing everything we can.” The girl confides that her older brother is in Ukraine. At 31 ns, he can be drafted into the Ukrainian army at any time. “Who can live with this fear in 2022?”she asks.