As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues for the seventh week, organizers at a vigil and rally outside Saskatoon City Hall weren’t resting for a moment to help in any way they can and keep the spotlight on Ukraine.
“Well, it’s clear that it’s not a normal war,” Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Kevin Kardynal said. “It’s clear that Putin and the Russian army are targeting civilians. They’re not they’re not going after the Ukrainian military.”
Previous rallies outside City Hall spoke of the need for a no-fly zone, humanitarian aid and to get people out of the country.
Sunday’s vigil had a different tone.
“I mean, the atrocities just keep coming at us. And I don’t think you have to be any particular ethnic group to realize this is this is not right, in any sense of the word,” Andrew Allsopp, vice president of non-profit Nashi, said during the rally.
Ukraine has blamed Russia for killing civilians in Bucha and other towns outside the capital where hundreds of bodies, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after Russian troops retreated. Russia has denied the allegations and falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged.
In Mariupol, residents have lacked food, water and electricity since Russian forces surrounded the city and frustrated evacuation missions. Ukrainian authorities think an airstrike on a theater that was being used as a bomb shelter killed hundreds of civilians, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he expects more evidence of atrocities to be found once Mariupol is no longer blocked.
“You will never destroy Ukrainian people,” Allsopp said.
“They may take property, they may want to hang on to their eastern provinces there but they’re not going to win. They can’t.”
With Associated Press files