In cities around the world, squares and streets were colored yellow and blue over the weekend. Thousands of protesters waved Ukrainian flags and donned the national colors during rallies against the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Numerous rallies also took place in Austria from Friday. In Linz there was a protest on Friday at 4 p.m. in the Volksgarten, on Saturday 600 people gathered for a rally on the main square.
The demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and posted signs calling on the international community to act and Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. Speakers with Ukrainian, but also Russian and Belarusian roots called for solidarity for Ukraine. Representatives of the Greens, SPÖ and NEOS also gave speeches. “We have to shout now to be heard,” said main initiator Oksana Kuzo in her protest speech.
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3000 at demonstration in Vienna
“With the demonstrations, we want to put pressure on the political actors and create awareness of the plight of the Ukrainian population,” said the native Ukrainian in the OÖN interview.
She had never organized a demo before. “I woke up on Thursday and suddenly there was war. I immediately felt the need to do something,” says the full-time pianist. She contacted other Ukrainians in Upper Austria via a Facebook page and registered the demo on the same day.
Kuzo’s family lives in Lviv (Lviv in German) in western Ukraine. “We are in constant contact, but of course the situation can change hourly. It’s really a terrible feeling,” says Kuzo.
3,000 people came together in Vienna on Saturday for the largest Ukraine demonstration in Austria to date. Here, too, speakers called for severe sanctions against Russia and an end to the war.
There was also sometimes violent and emotional criticism of Austrian foreign policy. Austria has strengthened and legitimized Putin’s expansion efforts through close diplomatic contacts after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Again and again there were chants in Ukrainian or Russian such as “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes” but also “Russians against Putin”.
Rallies also took place in most other Austrian provincial capitals. In Salzburg there was a sea of lights on Saturday after an ecumenical prayer for peace in the cathedral.
More than 100,000 people took to the streets in Berlin on Sunday. Protests took place in Spain, Italy, France and the USA. In Switzerland, thousands protested for a tougher line by the local government towards Russia.
Demonstrations are to take place across Austria in the coming days and weeks. A rally will take place on Tuesday at 6.30 p.m. on Martin-Luther-Platz in Linz. (vaba)
Source: Nachrichten
