Hundreds of Toronto residents gathered in Nathan Phillips Square Sunday to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Stand With Ukraine march began at 2 p.m. at Yonge and Bloor moving to Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall.
The march was led by a tractor, symbolizing farmers seen on social media making off with abandoned Russian armour across Ukraine.
“Putin is still moving forward,” the organizers said. “NATO has not stepped in!”
On Sunday, Ukraine demanded crippling new sanctions against Russia by major western powers including Canada as Ukrainian retook towns from Russian forces, finding devastation.
The mayor of Bucha, a liberated town 37 kilometres northwest of Kyiv, said that 300 of its residents had been killed by the Russian army.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for international war crimes investigators to visit the area to collect evidence and said Kyiv believed the killing of civilians was deliberate.
Russia’s defense ministry denied that Russian forces had killed civilians in Bucha, and said all photographs and footage showing dead bodies were “yet another provocation.” In a statement, it said all Russian military units had left the town on March 30.
Moscow has previously denied allegations that it has targeted civilians, and has rejected accusations of war crimes.
In Toronto, protestors listened to a speech from retired general Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence staff. He was one of several speakers.
“As a lifelong soldier, in particular, I stand with those men and women in the Ukrainian defence forces who are fighting for their freedom, sovereignty and the very survival of Ukraine,” Hillier said.
The protest is the latest in a string of Toronto events held in solidarity with Ukraine. Organizers promised to hold another event next Sunday.
— with files from Reuters
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