Thousands of British Columbians rallied in Victoria on Sunday, sending a strong message of support to Ukrainians fighting for their country’s independence.
The crowd stretched from the steps of the B.C. legislature to the edge of the Victoria Harbour, waving signs that said, “Stop the Russian aggression,” “No war, glory to Ukraine,” and “Freedom for Ukraine.”
Participants sang the national anthems of Canada and Ukraine, and shared messages of love and solidarity for the Eastern European country invaded by Russia last week.
“Canada stands in solidarity with Ukraine. They’re not alone,” said demonstrator Neva Waselenchuk.
“These are everyday people. They have homes, they have families, they have jobs, and they’re being destroyed because of a madman.”
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin claiming that “neo-Nazis” rule Ukraine and threaten his country.
Ukraine and Western governments have said the assertion is baseless propaganda, and world leaders have condemned the aggression while sanctioning Russia and cutting off several of its banks from a critical international payments network.
According to Ukraine’s health ministry, at least 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed and 1,684 people have been wounded so far.
“This is probably the scariest thing since the Cuban Missile Crisis,” said Victoria resident Brian Holowaychuk, whose grandparents immigrated to Canada from Ukraine.
In a news conference Sunday, federal Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canada is considering sending additional weapons to Ukraine and slapping Russia with more sanctions, in an effort to put “maximum pressure” on the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, many Canadians have donated funds to charities providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in an effort to do their part.
Devon Sereda Goldie, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Victoria branch, said she’s been “overwhelmed” by the community support for Ukraine in British Columbia alone.
“It’s shown me there’s goodness in human kind … I think I’ve cried almost as many tears happily, and out of gratitude, as out of sadness,” she told Global News outside the legislature.
“I think it just shows how strongly everybody cares about peace and democracy and the freedom to choose your country’s path.”
Sereda Goldie also encouraged British Columbians to write their members of parliament and urge them enact stricter economic sanctions on Russia. The federal government must also do more to support Ukrainians fleeing the country and hoping to enter Canada as either immigrants or refugees, she added.
Demonstrator Ed Koenig said his partner went to Ukraine during the pandemic to spend some time with family, and was supposed to return last week, but is now stuck there.
She, her brother and nephew recently fled the capital Kiev, he said, driving 21 hours to their mother’s one-bedroom apartment in eastern Ukraine, where they are now.
“It’s way back in the east which is still one of the safest areas at this point,” Koenig said in an interview.
“I’m coping okay if I compare myself to them over there. I’m free and I don’t have to worry about bombs and sirens. It’s a tragedy, it’s a human tragedy what’s going on over there.”
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to hold talks on Monday at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border, according to a Sunday statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy has said he doesn’t “really believe” much will come from the meeting, but it’s worth trying to negotiate, so there will be no doubt he “tried to stop the war.”
— With files from Kylie Stanton and Saba Aziz