'Stand with Ukraine': Rally at Vancouver Art Gallery draws large crowd
A large crowd gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery Saturday afternoon to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and show support for the Ukrainian people.
Hundreds joined the rally, many carrying Ukrainian flags and signs demanding Russian President Vladimir Putin stop the invasion, or that Canada and its NATO allies do more to help Ukraine fight back.
The crowd sang the Ukrainian national anthem and chanted "stand with Ukraine." Participants also shed tears for friends and relatives in the besieged country.
“There is not much I can do, except come here,” said Anna Okorokov, a Ukrainian citizen who now resides in Vancouver. She fled her home country with her parents when she was eight years old, after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Members of her extended family have been hearing bombings since 5 a.m. Thursday, she said.
“One family is hiding in the basement of their building, with all of their kids. The others are in their apartment because they can’t leave. The elevators have been turned off. My grandmother who is elderly can’t take the stairs,” said Okorokov.
Pavlo Ponikarovskyi was one of the organizers of Saturday's event. The Ukrainian-born B.C. resident said he was happy with the turnout, but wants people to provide material support for Ukraine's cause as well.
"Hopefully every single person here tells their friends to donate money, because all we can do from outside is just support everybody that is suffering from war," Ponikarovskyi said, adding that the war has completely disrupted life on the ground in Ukraine.
"We are not producing any goods. We're not providing any services. The economy is at a standstill, so, you know, every little dollar matters," he said.
The Red Cross is perhaps one of the more recognizable organizations to which people can donate. Ponikarovskyi also noted a Ukrainian organization called Save Life.
“They have been a non-profit with Ukraine since 2014, since the war began. They have been very reliable,” Ponikarovskyi said.
Saturday was the second time in just a few days that anti-war protesters have gathered in downtown Vancouver.
On Thursday, a larger-than-expected crowd turned out for an impromptu demonstration against Russia's invasion.
As Putin's forces continue their attempts to seize the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, B.C. residents with ties to the country have shared stories of friends and relatives fleeing the violence.
The B.C. government announced Friday that it would join other provinces in pulling Russian vodka from liquor store shelves. It also announced a $1 million donation to the Red Cross in Ukraine, and Premier John Horgan has pledged to work with the federal government to welcome Ukrainian refugees to the province.
Still, experts say Canada and other Western nations can do more to help Ukraine, and that's what many of the people in the crowd Saturday said they hoped to see.
One such action - blocking Russia's access to the SWIFT international payment system - came while the Vancouver protest was still ongoing.
The U.S., U.K., European Union and Canada issued a joint statement announcing the new round of sanctions - which will be implemented in the coming days - Saturday afternoon.
Ponikarovskyi described blocking Russia's access to SWIFT as the "number 1" thing Western nations could do to support Ukraine, but added several other measures he'd like to see.
"Number 2 is we want to embargo all of the oil and gas exports from Russia," he said. "Number 3 is we want to embargo all of the tech imports to Russia. Not 50 per cent like they've done now, it has been 100 per cent of the technology to be banned to be imported into Russia. Number 4 is for NATO. If you can't provide troops to us, at the very least you can protect our airspace from Russian artillery and Russian bombs. We want NATO to close our sky. Number 5, we want every country in the world to ban international flights to Russia and ban Russian airlines from entering our airspace."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.