Rallies, protests and vigils to commiserate with the people of Ukraine continued in Calgary Sunday.
A small group gathered across the street from the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bridgeland to show support for congregants.
The scene brought Christine Moussienko was overwhelmed.
“I came out first and saw and I started to cry,” she said.
Hundreds later showed up at a rally held by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
People crowded near the Holodomor Monument on Memorial Drive, holding up signs with messages in support of Ukraine and contempt for Russian president Vladimir Putin.
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The monument was erected to commemorate the Holdomor, the artificial famine-genocide orchestrated by the Stalin government that claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians between 1932 and 1933.
“Today there is another genocide happening against Ukraine,” organizer Inna Platanova told the crowd.
“It’s going to be the world before Feb. 24, 2022 and the world after… The world needs to wake up and stand for Ukraine, and for their own safety and stop this terrorist now.”
Beata Pasiak choked back tears as she attended the rally.
“I’m asking everybody to support Ukraine” said Pasieka. “We have to stand up for all Europe and all world. It’s important for all the world because Ukraine is all alone with this problem – and it’s much bigger than we can imagine and it’s not about Ukraine even — it’s about all world and power.”
Mike Ilnycky was thinking of the terrible position his family has been put in as he marched.
“We have family in Ukraine, they’re ready, they’re hunkered down, they’ve got the arms they’ve been given and they’re prepared to defend their homeland,” said Ilnycky.
“We’re so proud of our nation and we just want to be here morally to support the people in Ukraine and around the world who are standing up to Putin’s tyranny.”
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