Hundreds of Victorians Stand with Ukraine at Rally before Parliament

In contrast to the previous day’s festive atmosphere, the mood was sombre at BC’s Parliament in Victoria, as opponents to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine dragged on for a third week. Nobody present felt like celebrating the thousands of Ukrainians civilians who died on the front line in a senseless act of aggression. The mood was like that of a funeral, the songs sounded like dirges, the violin struck a chord throughout the crowd.

The various organisers and guests spoke of an unfolding humanitarian crisis in a war between freedom and authoritarianism that threatens to engulf the whole world in chaos, and begged the public for support. For a moment it felt like the front lines extended as far as the Parliament’s steps, and in a way they were, with the notable difference that bombs weren’t raining on us as they were on Ukrainian cities. Yet.

Russia has already lost this war. It’s just a matter of how badly it wants to drag the rest of us down with it in its spiteful death spiral, and the best counter remains worldwide and steadfast opposition to its nihilistic politics. Make no mistake, this is a civil and human rights struggle in essence, between competing world views, and this is how it must be fought, with crowds holding signs and offering material support from thousands of kilometres away.

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