READING stood in solidarity with Ukraine on Saturday as the country marked the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion.
A march was held from the Broad St. Mall end of Broad Street to Forbury Gardens, where participants gathered to hear speeches.
Children from the Reading Ukrainian School wore their country’s national dress and sang Oh, In The Meadow Red Kalyna.
The event was one of 1,023 rallies taking place in 746 cities across 69 countries on every continent, including Antarctica.
At the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London, activists held a poignant memorial service to honour the memory of the 528 Ukrainian children who lost their lives due to the conflict, hanging paper angels inside the church as a symbol of remembrance.
In Prague, Czech President Petr Pavel inaugurated a large pro-Ukrainian action; in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders joined the peaceful rally.
The 28th Ukrainian Antarctic expedition members sent a video message from the icy continent.
Among those attending was Reading East MP Matt Rodda, who said: “I wanted to show my wholehearted support for Ukraine and to reflect on the appalling attack on the country and the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
“I thanked residents, Reading Borough Council and local groups for helping support Ukrainians living in our area and to pay tribute to the work of the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre.
“The UK must be united in its support for Ukraine; Labour is committed to standing with our European neighbour for as long as it takes to win the war.”
{{{image.994408}}}
Mr Rodda talked about the work of the All Party Group on Ukraine in Parliament and how he has been taking part in the group to learn more about events in Ukraine, this included last week meeting a Ukrainian medic who was a prisoner of war, who was tortured by Russian forces but who was later released.
Reading Borough Mayor Cllr Tony Page was also present.
He said in a tweet: “Reading stands in solidarity with the resilient Ukrainian community.
“The world should remember that Ukrainians are fighting against Russia to protect their land, freedom, and peace in Europe.
“We support Ukraine’s sovereignty and have faith in its victory.”
{{{image.994402}}}
For more on the global marches, log on to: www.standwithukraine.org
