Thousands of people took to the streets of many European cities this Sunday to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the “madness” of the war that he unleashed with the invasion of Ukraine that already leaves dozens dead and more than 100,000 displaced.
Mass demonstration in Berlin
More than 100,000 people took to the streets of the German capital, Berlin, on Sunday to demonstrate against the war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion. The assistants have carried Ukrainian flags and banners in which messages such as ‘Stop the war’, ‘Stop all Putin’s businesses’ or ‘Solidarity with Ukraine’ could be read.
The meeting has been convened by unions, churches, environmental groups and pacifist organizations and expectations have been widely exceeded, since initially it was estimated that the influx would be around 20,000 people. In fact, the area set up for the demonstration has been expanded by the capital authorities once a point has been reached where the concentration did not comply with the regulations on meetings in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
Demonstration in Prague
In Prague, thousands of people demonstrated in front of the Russian legation, where a banner with the images of Hitler and Putin was displayed with the date 1938-2022, referring to the year of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany. The protesters shouted: “Pick up your bags” and “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes.”
Demonstrations in Rome
Thousands of people, including Ukrainian citizens residing in Italy, but also politicians, union members, students, teachers and other groups in the country, demonstrated today in Rome to ask for peace in Ukraine and reject the military attack launched by Russia. The mobilization, in which forty associations also participated, took place in a central Roman square under the slogan “Against war, for a Europe of peace” and began with a minute of silence for those who died in the conflict. Numerous politicians attended, including Labor Minister Andrea Orlando, who stated that economic sanctions on Russia “are a necessary tool to hit those who have unilaterally started a war.”
Demonstration in Madrid
About 35,000 people have demonstrated this Sunday, February 27, in different parts of Madrid, called by groups in support of Ukraine, to ask for the war to end after the invasion of Russian troops. One of the peaceful marches ‘For Ukraine’ has left around 12:00 hours from the Plaza de Colón bound for the Plaza de Cibeles, and has brought together 35,000 people, according to data provided to Europa Press by sources from the Government Delegation in Madrid, at 1:50 p.m. The demonstrators have gathered with Ukrainian flags and banners that read: “Peace”, “Stop Putin” and “Enough!”. There have also been chants and proclamations of “Murderer Putin”, “Putin out of Ukraine”, “Freedom”, “Free Ukraine” and “Europe, Spain helps Ukraine”. In addition, the organizers have set up an information point on how to help Ukraine and other food, clothing and medicine collection points to send aid to the population.
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Demonstrations in Russia
A total of 3,121 people have been arrested in different Russian cities this Sunday, which represents the four consecutive days of mobilizations against the invasion of Ukraine, according to the independent portal OVD-Info. Until 9:50 am on Sunday, 1,002 people had been arrested in unauthorized demonstrations in 44 Russian cities against the military intervention, of which 484 correspond to Moscow. The total number of detainees is 4,124, according to OVD-Info. Russian legislation requires notification of concentrations between 10 and 15 days before the protest is held and provides for high fines and even jail for those who protest without permission. Instead, “individual pickets” are allowed, although there have also been cases of protesters being arrested while protesting alone. Last Thursday, the Russian Investigative Committee warned that participation in the anti-war protests was illegal and recalled that the detainees will have a record that “will leave a mark on their future.”