Hundreds of Londoners rallied together to show support for the people of Ukraine on Sunday.
The rally was held at Victoria Park and was the second in several weeks’ time to be put together by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC).
“We had done a rally a few weeks ago, to protest what was happening at the time,” Ola Nowosad, of the London Chapter of the UCC, said, “but this rally came about because of people saying they need a forum to get together and show their support, their outrage, their emotions about this whole attack.”
Nowosad said that the UCC is used to planning cultural events for the Ukrainian-Canadian community, like dance or food festivals.
“In this case, we’ve been thrown into a very serious political situation,” she added.
Several levels of politicians showed up for the event including London’s mayor, Ed Holder, a number of city councillors, and London North Centre MP, Peter Fragiskatos.
So heartwarming to be standing in solidarity with Ukrainian people united in a joint voice of freedom. #IStandWithUkraine #SupportUkraine pic.twitter.com/QSAoloD6i3
— John Fyfe-Millar (@fyfemillar) February 27, 2022
Today #ldnont|ers joined together to speak out against the unjustified and unprovoked attack on the free and democratic people of #Ukraine.
Slava Ukraini#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/a7bX7ZgOXG
— Josh Morgan (@JoshMorganLDN) February 27, 2022
Today, Londoners came together in Victoria Park to say Slava Ukraini and express solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The message was clear: Russia’s aggression cannot stand. A proud moment for our city. #ldnont https://t.co/y8Pg34NoYM
— Peter Fragiskatos (@pfragiskatos) February 27, 2022
“It’s overwhelming,” she said in terms of support she’s seen so far from Canadians and people worldwide. “It’s heartwarming to know that decent people see this horrific situation for what it is and are outraged by it.”
Canada has the third-largest Ukrainian population in the world and many of those people have relatives remaining in their home country.
“The shock of this massive invasion covering most of the country has left everyone reeling,” Nowosad said of her own relatives, both in Canada and Ukraine.
She added that for older generations of Ukrainians the Russian invasion brings back terrible memories.
“My mother was taken by the Nazis when she was a teenager and I heard all those stories and, to me, this is like deja vu.”
Despite the terrible situation, Nowosad said that seeing strong leadership in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the courage of the Ukrainian people, and the support of friends and strangers still allows her to feel hopeful for the future.
The UCC is accepting donations for humanitarian relief. More information can be found on the Canada-Ukraine Foundation website.
