Hundreds of people have marched through Melbourne’s streets to condemn the threat of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
One of the protest organisers, Liana Slipetsky, from the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria, has been demonstrating against Russian aggression towards the country since she was a child.
The march in Melbourne on Sunday.Credit:Chris Hopkins
During the march from Federation Square to the steps of Parliament House on Sunday, she stopped at the spot where a photo was taken of her grandfather, marching for the same cause, about 30 years ago.
“When will this end? The only thing that makes this different is the world has opened its eyes,” Ms Slipetsky said.
Demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and held up placards with massages including “Stop Putin now” and “No war in Ukraine”. There appeared to be support from Melbourne’s Russian community too, with one woman holding up a sign declaring she was Russian and was for “world peace”.
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, who is of Ukrainian heritage, spoke at the rally, as did former Labor federal opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Ms Slipetsky, who is from Melbourne, has family in western and eastern Ukraine.
She said her cousin has a 17-year-old son who is a cadet in the army and who has been told he needs to prepare to fight, whether he is trained or not.
“These poor people are stuck. So while they’re fairly stoic and pragmatic, there is this dark cloud of war hanging over them.”
Lydia Gibala, who has family mostly in western Ukraine, also joined the rally.
Demonstrators walked from Federation Square to Parliament House.Credit:Chris Hopkins
“I did speak to them during the week and they said, ‘We’re fine,’ but it’s frightening to think of how their world is going to change,” she said.
Rallies were held in major cities across Australia on Sunday.
Groups such as the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria are calling for tougher sanctions on Russia, such as preventing Russian oligarchs from sending their children to elite schools in the United States and Britain.
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