Hundreds Stand with Ukraine at BC Legislature in Victoria

About two hundred people rallied before the BC Legislature in Victoria to mark Ukraine’s independence day and the grim six-month anniversary of Russia’s invasion, defying predictions that public support would fade over Ukraine fatigue and a flurry of domestic crises.

I see no need to elaborate on what galvanised this many protesters over events taking place thousands of kilometres away. It’s been all over the news already in most graphic presentations, and everyone already has an opinion on it (most often derogatory). Indeed, it’s difficult for the rare few proponents of the invasion outside of Russia’s sphere of influence to sell it to people wary of cartoonish propaganda spread by troll farms whose modus operandi has been documented ad nauseam.

Instead, I would rather discuss the fact that it did elicit a decent turnout, in contrast to recent events I have covered, in spite of the fact it was a minimally organised rally, without tents, stands, or speakers. There are multiple lessons to learn from this. One is that a cause that resonates with the public and whose message is spread by a strong community will reach and attract people; just set up a date, time, and location well in advance and people are bound to show up. Speaking of which, setting the time at 5PM proved judicious; events I have covered being set midday in the middle of the week did not fare well in general. Timing it with a major event like Ukraine’s independence day, amid major media coverage, also helped both spread the message and stress its urgency. It’s also far easier to rally people at the Legislature than at a more obscure, remote, or cramped location; marches that begin at Centennial Square, for example, tend not to fare as well. Announcing it well in advance and preparing the ground for the event also largely contributed to its success; I have witnessed too many protests flounder because they were announced only a couple days in advance on some obscure page or mailing list without even a Facebook event.

So to other organisations struggling to attract protesters, I would advise to take notice and emulate this simple model. No need for a lot of money and volunteers to draw a good turnout; though it’s nowhere as simple as “build it and they will come”, just making a bold call and preparing the ground well in advance while avoiding basic blunders can make the difference between getting mere dozens and instead hundreds or even thousands to show up.

Previous Ukraine rallies coverage: