Six months down the road, public support for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion defies predictions that war fatigue would cause the consensus to collapse and foreign help to withdraw.
Hundreds line up with Ukrainian flags and signs before the Legislature to protest the continued Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine.
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:
115 protesters gathered at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, for the sixty-eighth weekend in a row, marching…
Supporting the cause of Palestinian liberation? Have a look at what your bloody taxpayer money is funding.
Don't hold your breath, but this ceasefire might actually hold longer than the previous one. In the meantime the rallies…
Shea Smith was such an outstanding advocate that he was worth not one, but two celebrations of life. Today was…
The presence of police officers in high schools is the object of heated debate. Threats by the provincial government to…
I've got good news and bad news for my followers. Come see how my recovery—or lack thereof—will impact this publication.
