A hundred people demonstrated on Saturday morning in front of the Russian Consulate General in downtown Montreal to denounce the deadly war that has been going on for 10 days in Ukraine.
Paint and skulls were placed on the fence in front of the building, while demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and posters comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to an “assassin”. In interview at Homeworkseveral protesters of Ukrainian descent compared the Russian offensive in Ukraine to “genocide” and deplored NATO’s refusal to grant a no-fly flight over the Eastern European country, where the bombardments persisted on Saturday for a tenth day in a row.
The latest UN tally, released on Saturday, shows at least 350 civilians dead in Ukraine since February 24, while more than 700 others have been injured.
“For me, it’s very clear that it’s a genocide that is happening right now [en Ukraine] “Dropped Ekaterina Lavrentyeva. Of Russian origin, the lady moved to Ukraine with her family when she was nine years old. At the age of 25, she left Ukraine to settle in Canada, but many of her friends still live in the Eastern European country.
“I want the war to stop,” pleaded Anna Lazarenko, of Ukrainian origin, several of whose family members are still in that country. Met on Saturday, she deplored the many civilian victims associated with this conflict, which also led to the demolition of many public buildings in Ukraine, such as hospitals and schools.
“What is happening there is not normal. It has to stop. That’s why I came here today. People all over the world are going out. It is my duty to be here today,” she said.
National anthem
The Ukrainian-born pianist Serhiy Salov for his part urged the City of Montreal to rename Avenue du Musée, where the Consulate General of Russia is located, in the name of “Place de l’Ukraine”. “Stop the war,” read a poster held up behind him by a protester, as the pianist shared his thoughts over a loudspeaker.
“I guarantee you that there is not a single night that I did not sleep without waking up thinking that the war had arrived in Montreal, that I went to snuggle up in the four corners of my room thinking that the bombs and the rockets are there […] I can only imagine what people are going through there,” sighed the pianist in an interview.
Mr. Salov, winner of the Concours musical international de Montréal in 2004, was then joined by Orchester symphonique de Montréal trumpeter Paul Merkelo, also of Ukrainian origin, to perform the national anthem of their country of origin. . Demonstrators joined them, misty-eyed.
Almost at the same time, lawyer and member of the Ukrainian delegation David Arakhamia announced on his Facebook page on Saturday that a third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, first mentioned for this weekend, would finally take place. Monday.
“We must keep the peace, we must find a way to bring peace,” insisted Le Devoir Paul Merkelo, who intends to raise funds to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainians stuck in this country.
A little before noon, the crowd in yellow and blue, initially made up of several dozen people, gradually grew a little larger. Before announcing the end of the event, one of its participants announced the holding at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday of a candlelight vigil at the same place, in front of the Consulate General of Russia.
Another demonstration will also take place Sunday at 1 p.m., near the Sherbrooke metro station, to condemn the war in Ukraine. The event is organized by the Quebec Association of International Cooperation Organizations, among others.