A mother and daughter from Mariupol – a Ukrainian city currently besieged by the Russians – joined pro-Ukraine demonstrators in Newport on Sunday (20th March).
Every Sunday for the past 3 weeks a committed group of anti-Putin protestors has gathered in St James’ Square to show their solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
This Sunday, the Ukrainian sympathisers were joined by Isle of Wight teacher Oksana and her daughter Katya – a student at Ryde Academy – both of whom were born in Ukraine.
Oksana has friends and relatives throughout Ukraine: in the capital Kyiv, the eastern city of Kharkiv, and the southern city of Mariupol. All 3 locations have been subjected to devastating Russian bombardment over recent weeks.
Oksana says:
“I haven’t heard anything from my friends and relatives from Mariupol over the past 10 days. They have neither internet nor electricity.
“We return to Ukraine every year but did not do so for 3 years because of Covid. We were in Kyiv this Christmas when everything was peaceful. We wanted to go back to Ukraine this summer and hire a villa by the sea.
“We are happy in the Isle of Wight but miss Ukraine. I miss the cold winters and Ukrainian food such as borsch (beetroot soup). I wish people knew more about Ukraine apart from war.”
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Year 8 student Katya said:
“We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for making donations and all their support. We had a Ukrainian Day at Ryde Academy on Friday.”
Demonstrators sang the Ukrainian national anthem – coached by Oksana – and accompanied by Green Party parliamentary candidate Vix Lowthion on the accordion. The group intends to continue to gather in St James’ Square, Newport every Sunday at 12:00 midday to show their solidarity with Ukraine.
This horrible war is like a nightmare for the whole world – that normal decent people should be suffering such fear and danger – our hearts go out to them.
– Though we feel so powerless, perhaps we can do something positive, such as charter a coach to London to protest voiciferously outside the Russian Embassy for a whole working day. – Let the evil regime know in no uncertain terms..well, at least it’s Something !
– Anyone up for it ?