Anti-war protests throughout Europe, small rallies in Russia

Many members carried flags within the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine, whereas others bore banners studying “Cease the Battle” and “Peace and Solidarity for the individuals in Ukraine.”

Norbert Herring, who held up an indication that learn “What are you doing to your neighbor?” because the crowds filed previous the Russian Embassy, mentioned the photographs from Ukraine reminded him of the bombing of cities throughout World Battle II.

A number of members on the Berlin protest mentioned they had been Russians ashamed about what their nation was doing.

“We’re in opposition to this warfare so we needed to point out our solidarity,” mentioned Aleksandra Belozerova, a Russian learning in Germany. “It’s the least we are able to do on this state of affairs.”

Her pal, Aliia Biktagirova, held an indication with letters for the Russian phrase for “No Battle” represented as asterisks to replicate the censorship she mentioned is going down in Russia in regards to the battle.

In Russia, the place demonstrations in opposition to the warfare in Ukraine have been sometimes met with a heavy police response, rights group OVD-Information mentioned greater than 668 individuals had been detained in 36 cities as of late afternoon Moscow time.

There was a heavy police presence at central places together with Manezh Sq. close to the Kremlin, with officers carrying demonstrators away to ready police vans, in footage posted by Russian media. The variety of individuals protesting nationwide seemed to be far fewer than the final main protests per week in the past, when OVD-Information listed greater than 5,000 individuals who had been detained.

Protests had been additionally staged in Warsaw, London and the German cities of Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart.

In Rome, Pope Francis decried the “barbarianism” of the killing of kids and different defenseless civilians in Ukraine. He advised a crowd estimated by the Vatican to quantity 25,000 individuals gathered in St. Peter’s Sq. for his customary Sunday midday look that the assaults should cease “earlier than cities are decreased to cemeteries.”

In Cyprus, dozens of Russian nationals joined Ukrainians within the coastal resort city of Limassol Sunday to protest the warfare in Ukraine. About 50 Russians converged on Limassol’s promenade previous to becoming a member of with different protesters to chant slogans corresponding to “Cease the warfare, cease Putin” and waving blue and white flags they mentioned the place the Russian nationwide flag with out the crimson stripe that represented “blood and violence.”

Protester Evgeniya Shlikava, who has been residing and dealing in Cyprus for 5 years, advised The Related Press that regardless of Russian propaganda, Ukraine “didn’t deserve this motion from our authorities” and that protesters demand an instantaneous finish to the warfare “that we don’t assist.”

“I do imagine that the one that did essentially the most to make Russia weak and never united is (Vladimir) Putin himself,” mentioned Shlikava who faulted the Russian president and his supporters for bringing the world’s wrath on Russia that’s pleased with its humanistic values and tradition. “However now Russia is the aggressor for the entire world, and we protest it.”

Earlier Sunday, Ukrainian nationals in Taiwan and supporters additionally staged a march in Taipei to protest the Russian invasion.

Frances D’Emilio in Rome, and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Limassol, Cyprus, contributed to this report.