Ukraine crisis: Anti-war protests across Europe and 250 arrested at rallies in Russia
- Protests were planned in Berlin, Warsaw, London, Madrid, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart to protest against the ongoing war
- Police detained more than 250 people during demonstrations in 23 Russian cities on Sunday; the previous weekend, about 5,000 were arrested
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Tens of thousands of people were expected to gather Sunday in cities across Europe to protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine, with small rallies taking place in Russia as well despite a crackdown by authorities against such demonstrations.
Trade unions called a protest in Berlin where sunny weather was expected to boost the turnout. Organisers planned to march from the city’s Alexanderplatz – a large square named after Russian Tsar Alexander I – to a site near the Brandenburg Gate.
Many participants carried flags in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine, while others carried banners reading “Stop the War” and “Peace and Solidarity for the people in Ukraine.”
Protests were also planned in Warsaw, London, Madrid, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart. Meanwhile, Ukrainian nationals in Taiwan and supporters staged a march Sunday in Taipei to protest the Russian invasion.
In Russia more than 250 people were detained on Sunday for protesting Moscow’s “military operation” in Ukraine, as the conflict continues for a third week.
OVD-information, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained 268 people during demonstrations in 23 Russian cities.
A journalist present at a protest in the capital Moscow witnessed at least a dozen arrests and said police were taking away anybody without press papers. A young woman was shouting “peace to the world” as she was taken away by two policemen, the journalist saw.
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Some of the riot police had the letter “Z” in the colours of the Russian flag on their helmets, the AFP reporter said. The letter, seen on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine, has become a symbol of support for what Moscow calls its “special military operation”.
In Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg, AFP saw multiple arrests, including a protester being dragged across the ground. The city’s central Nevsky Avenue was closed off by police with a dozen police vans parked along the road. Several journalists were detained.
Dressed in a yellow hat and blue jacket, 20-year-old Kristina said she was “expressing her protest” by wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag. “It’s scary to go outside, of course, they are detaining everyone. Many of my friends have been detained in the past few days, some were even expelled from university,” she said.
Last weekend, police arrested more than 5,000 protesters across Russia. Protesters risk fines and possible prison sentences by taking to the streets.
