As thousands swelled the streets of the capital on March 26 to show their support for Ukraine, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declared: “Today, we are all Ukrainians.” Following more than a month since Putin’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked people from across the world to take to the streets to show their solidarity, and to take up Ukrainian symbols to show support for Ukraine.
“And we responded to that call,” said Mr Khan, on Saturday afternoon, at a rally which started near Hyde Park and made its way down past Piccadilly Circus, ending up in Trafalgar Square. “I can see a sea of blue and yellow and it looks beautiful. People of all backgrounds and nationalities coming together and sending a powerful message that we stand with the people of Ukraine. We condemn Putin’s barbaric aggression.”
As the sun beat down on the protestors, wheelchair-bound Marcella, waving a Ukrainian flag, said: “We have to get rid of dictators like Putin. They think we are frightened of them, but we are not. Otherwise we would not be here.”
Wheel-chair bound Marcella was also present (Photo Credit: Tony Leliw)
Veronika from Minsk said: “I am against this war. This is genocide. We have to stop this terror.” The 56-year-old chemist said that she was an election observer during the last elections in Belarus.
“The military came to my house and started looking for things. They wanted to put me in prison. That is why I am here. I don’t know if it is safe for me to go back and I don’t want Ukrainians to lose their freedoms.”
As the march snaked its way down Park Lane, chants of ‘arm Ukraine’, ‘we stand together on Ukraine,’ and ‘say it now, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’ were heard.
London-based student Khrystyna Tsupryk, who hails from Lviv, making her presence felt at Saturday’s rally (Photo Credit: Tony Leliw)
Tim Joslin was with his Estonian partner Kristina, and both said the war in Ukraine was a continuation of the war Russia started in Georgia in August 2008. Mr Joslin went on: “We should have stood up to him in 2014 when he annexed Crimea and we apologise to the Ukrainian people that we did not.”
Renowned campaigner Peter Tatchell, director of a human rights foundation in his name, said: “The war in Ukraine is a struggle between democracy and fascism. What Russia is doing to Ukraine is similar to what the US did in Vietnam.”
Mr Tatchell also said it was the duty of the world to arm Ukraine with defensive weapons and wage a total economic war with Russia.
Peter Tatchell, director of the eponymous human rights foundation, described the war in Ukraine as a struggle between democracy and fascism (Photo Credit: Tony Leliw)
Another participant Zac said his wife’s family was from Kyiv but they had left after the war had started. “We are trying to bring her mother, father and grandmother here to London.”
Pris Kwong, 30, from Hong Kong, had a message written in both English and Ukrainian. It read: “Justice will win.”
Tim Riley from the European Movement said: “It’s ironic that Ukraine is waiting to be in the European Union while we are turning our backs on Europe.”
Once the protesters had their say on the streets of London, the attention turned to speakers on the stage at Trafalgar Square, kicked off by David Lammy, Labour shadow foreign secretary, who said: “We are against this ethnic nationalism, denial of sovereignty and Russian imperialism. We have to arm Ukrainians in their resistance. History will see that Londoners stood for the people of Ukraine.”
Hanya Dezyk, representing the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, said: “We have to support Ukraine in every way that we can, and our highest priority is to stop the war. Like our national anthem says ‘we’ll not spare our souls or bodies to get freedom.’”
Olesya Khromeychuk, director of the Ukrainian Institute London, wanted to thank the British public for being so welcoming. “Ukrainians feel your support,” she said.
Georgia Gould, chair of London Councils (Labour) said: “Today our beautiful, diverse city sent a strong message – we stand with the people of Ukraine who are showing such extraordinary courage. We expect our leaders to take action and welcome Ukrainians fleeing devastation.”
The mayors of Brussels, Amsterdam and Athens sent messages of support, “saluting Ukrainians for their courage and humanity”.
Sue Ferns, president of the Trades Union Congress, said: “Six million members in the UK want to show our solidarity with Ukraine. We condemn the invasion and want to urge the government to step up their diplomatic efforts to end the war.”
She added: “It was always the working people and the most vulnerable who suffered the most during times of war.”
Dr Halima Begum, the Director of the Runnymede Trust, said: “We are standing for Ukraine when it matters the most. I welcome the day when President Zelensky is able to return here.”
Anna Bird from the European Movement said: “Freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights unites us all. They have their champions and their opponents. We join citizens across Europe to oppose Putin’s war against Ukraine.
“What do we do? I want to look my children in the eye and say that we did something. We spoke up, protested, donated and opened up our homes. That we brought the world together.”
British academy award-winning actress, Emma Thompson, described as one of the best of her generation read Taras Shevchenko’s heart rendering poem N.N. in its English translation.
British actress Emma Thompson recites Taras Shevchenko’s very moving poem N.N. in its English translation (Photo Credit: Alex Batoryk-Leliw)
Ukraine’s ambassador to UK, Vadym Prystaiko, said: “I thank Britain for its continued support and urge Western civilisation to help Ukraine.” He warned that if Russia finishes Ukraine, Putin will head further West.
Mr Prystaiko then started to speak in Ukrainian, addressing the newly-arrived refugees, telling them that they would be welcomed by the people in the UK.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The future of Ukraine will not be decided by Putin but by the people of Ukraine. It should not be decided by force but by freedom.” Mr Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants, and whose father was a bus driver, added: “London will always welcome refugees.”
Speeches came to a close when a live feed was established to allow Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko to address the crowds at Trafalgar Square. “We defend the same principles – please be together with Ukraine,” he said.
