Here's another 'anniversary' nobody felt like celebrating, fully one year into a nonsensical conflict marred by tragedy, which showed no sign of ending any time soon.
Victoria’s Ukrainian community and supporters held a candlelight vigil at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to commemorate the tragedy visited upon Ukraine by the Russian invasion one year on.
At least two hundred people attended the event at its peak, braving subzero temperatures to rally to denounce a war that has sent ripples even half a world away.
The event opened with a choir singing the Canadian and Ukrainian anthems, followed by a perfunctory address by Victoria’s mayor Marianne Alto.
Followed multiple survivors of the war, including a couple who stood during the siege of Mariupol, finding refuge in underground parking lots while bombs and shells rained above their heads. Even then they were defiant against the Russian invader’s attempt at breaking their spirit and identity.
The organisers thanked Canadians for their support of the war and for welcoming so many refugees, while reminding the crowd that the need was more dire than even, one year into the worst migration crisis since World War II that has seen more than eight million people displaced. They also denounced the overt racism and constant harassment the Ukrainian diaspora endured even on Canadian soil by hooligans enabled by Russian propaganda.
These are reminders that this war affects everyone worldwide and is being fought on a global scale. In this respect, everyone is invited to step forward and make a difference, to make sure this first anniversary is the last.
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Although the event was a relative success, its outcome leaves me most apprehensive. Regretfully, we had to end it early.
