TOO MUCH YANKEE KULTURE
What many convoy protesters get wrong about constitutional rights and the Governor General

P. O. G.*

Sun., February 27, 2022

A person holds a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on Parliament Hill during the blockade of Canada's capital city by people protesting against pandemic public health measures. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press - image credit)

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine is expected to drive a wave of Moscow-sponsored online disinformation in the coming weeks and months, constitutional disinformation dominated much of the discussion in Ottawa during the occupation of the downtown core by anti-vaccine mandate protesters.

Many protesters upset with vaccine mandates came to Ottawa with a flawed understanding of the limits of constitutional freedoms and how the Westminster parliamentary system works.

The protesters who blockaded the city waved copies of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the air while chanting "freedom, freedom" in the faces of police officers and citizens trying to go about their business. They claimed they were free to protest in Ottawa indefinitely, to commandeer the streets to make their point.

Many of those participating and supporting in the blockade signed a memorandum of understanding issued by Canada Unity, one of the groups organizing the convoy. That MOU called on the Governor General and the Senate of Canada to somehow form a new government with the protesters themselves.

When the federal government eventually invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the city, many of those who had been blockading the city claimed that martial law had been imposed and their rights had been violated or erased.

Let's take a look at these claims and compare them with the facts on Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution.

Does the charter protect all freedoms of Canadians without limits?

The Charter of Rights is part of the Constitution. It outlines Canadians' rights and freedoms and limits to those freedoms.

The very first section of the charter "guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society."

In legal terms, that means that the freedoms and rights laid out in the charter are not absolute. To use the most popular analogy, one person's freedom to swing their arms around ends at the tip of another person's nose.

When rights are limited, they must be "prescribed by law" — to extend the analogy, you can't prevent someone from swinging their arms around by cutting them off. Limits to freedom must be precise so that they can be measured up against a legal standard.

Evan Mitsui/CBC

The Oakes test is used to determine if limiting a charter right is reasonable and can be justified under the law. The Oakes test says that the goal of limiting a right must be urgent and significant and that the way a right is limited must be proportional.

The Oakes test also requires a rational connection between the objective a government is trying to achieve and the right it is limiting. The right can be limited only enough to reach the objective and the harm caused by limiting a freedom must be balanced by the objective.

Martha Jackman, a constitutional law expert at the University of Ottawa, said that "the government has to meet all of" the conditions of the Oakes test.

"So if something is irrational, that's sufficient for the government to lose the ability to justify something, if it's irrational or if it's disproportionate," she said.

Canada's courts have been working out the Oakes test case by case since the charter first came into force.

Were the protesters exercising their legal right to peaceful assembly?

Section two of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrines the "freedom of peaceful assembly" — but leaves it up to the courts to decide what "peaceful" means.

Court rulings going back to 1982 define the right to peaceful assembly as including the right to hold a protest on public streets, to camp in a public park as a part of that protest, and the right to wear masks during a protest.

While court rulings guarantee these rights of public assembly, they're not absolute. Like all rights in the charter, they are subject to "reasonable limits prescribed by law."

Patrick Doyle/Reuters

According to Canadian case law, assemblies cease to be peaceful when people begin rioting or when gatherings seriously disturb the peace. The right to assembly also does not include the right to physically impede or blockade lawful activities.

Jackman said that a protester's belief that a protest is peaceful does not exempt it from limitation under the law. A peaceful, non-violent protest that prevents patients from accessing a hospital, for example, could be limited under the law.

"A peaceful assembly that is violating municipal, provincial and federal law, it may well be peaceful within the contours of the peaceful assembly guarantee but that doesn't mean that it isn't subject to reasonable limits," Jackman said.

Is the Emergencies Act martial law?

Martial law is most commonly defined as the suspension of a country's laws, including civil liberties, and can involve replacing a democratically elected government with a police or military authority.

"Martial law isn't really a defined legal concept in Canada," Jackman said.

"The Emergencies Act is really our most powerful legislation in Canada to deal with national emergencies but it's not martial law."

The Emergencies Act does not suspend laws or put the military in charge of the Canadian government. In fact, the Emergencies Act stipulates that any actions taken by government while the act is in force are subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Bill of Rights.

The act also states that a government cannot rule by cabinet while the act is in force and all orders and regulations issued while the Emergencies Act is in force must be reviewed by Parliament. The act also explains how Canadians affected by government actions during an emergency should be compensated by the state.

Can citizens or the Governor General force the dissolution of government?

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon's office received so many phone calls and emails from people asking her to dissolve the federal government during the blockade that she had to issue a statement explaining that she does not have that power.

Under Canada's Westminster form of parliamentary democracy, the Governor General acts as a proxy for the Queen and dissolves Parliament upon the request of the prime minister. When Parliament is dissolved, a new election is called.

The Governor General has the constitutional discretion to refuse a prime minister's request to dissolve Parliament, but it's generally understood that would happen only if an election had occurred recently and there was another party capable of forming government.

In 1926, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King asked Gov. Gen. Lord Julian Byng to dissolve the minority Parliament and call new elections. Byng refused. King stepped down and, a few months later, led the Liberals to a majority victory.

Evan Mitsui/CBC

Ever since, no governor general has refused a prime minister's request to dissolve Parliament. Nor has a governor general ever dismissed a prime minister and a government outright.

Citizens can only register their "non-confidence" in a government by voting in an election — by granting another party or combination of parties enough seats in the House of Commons to form a government.

Apart from a direct request from the prime minister, the only other way to dissolve Parliament is through time limits set out in law. The Constitution limits the length of each Parliament to five years.

Section 56.1 of the Canada Elections Act, which was updated in 2007, restricts the duration of a Parliament to four years. Elections can still be called by the Governor General before the four-year time period expires, but only on the advice of the prime minister.

Governments are only replaced when the prime minister resigns or is dismissed by the Governor General. The Governor General's discretion to dismiss the prime minister is extremely narrow and limited by constitutional convention.

Philippe Lagassé, an associate professor at Carleton university with expertise in parliamentary executive power, said the massive number of emails and phone calls the Governor General received from convoy protesters is more evidence of a recent trend in protest movements.

"It has become routine in Canadian politics to write a letter to the Queen, Governor General, or a Lieutenant Governor asking them to exercise their powers in some way, contrary to constitutional conventions," he said. "This is political theater, no more."

* PEACE, ORDER AND GOOD GOVERNMENT

THE BOURGEOIS MOTTO OF PARLIAMENT

ROFLMAO

Rep. Lauren Boebert Says Canada

And U.S. 'Need To Be Liberated' 

Like Ukraine

Josephine Harvey

Sun., February 27, 2022, 

As everyday Ukrainian people take up arms against Russian invaders in a desperate bid to hang onto their democracy, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) on Sunday compared their situation to protesting truckers in Canada who didn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I pray for Ukraine and I wish them the best. They have a great president right now who has really said clearly, ‘Live free or die.’ He said, ‘I don’t need a ride, give me ammunition. The fight is right here,’” Boebert said in an interview with Fox News personalities Kayleigh McEnany and Pete Hegseth at the Conservative Political Action Conference that aired on the Fox Nation streaming service.

“But we also have neighbors to the north who need freedom and need to be liberated and we need that right here at home as well.”

The gun-obsessed, extremist lawmaker had been referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s refusal of a U.S. offer to be evacuated from Kyiv, as Russian troops continued to press into the capital in an unprovoked attack that has shocked the world.

Zelenskyy has vowed to defend the country with its citizens, saying, “We are not putting down arms.”

The city’s residents have sheltered in underground bunkers and subway stations and accepted weapons from the government to join the fight in the streets as Russian airstrikes rain down on the capital and other cities.

Boebert made the outrageous comments after Hegseth brought up Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and called him an “autocrat” because he quashed anti-vaccine protests that had paralyzed international supply chains for weeks.

The demonstrators were against vaccine mandates and an assortment of other measures intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Boebert claimed President Joe Biden is “jealous” of the control that “tyrant Trudeau” has, adding that the Ukraine crisis is “all because of weakness in America.”

She did not mention the actual cause of the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin.

Boebert is notorious for making hateful, bigoted and false statements with potentially dangerous repercussions. On Jan. 6, 2021, shortly before a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol to try and overturn a democratic election, she tweeted, “Today is 1776.”

.Watch Ukraine's war hero president Volodymyr Zelensky win his country's version of Dancing With The Stars

Footage of Ukraine’s heroic president winning his country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing has gone viral on social media as the battle for Kharkiv raged, James Crisp writes.

Volodymyr Zelensky triumphed in the first series of Tantsi z zirkamy, or Dancing with the Stars, in 2006 when he was a television celebrity.

Highlights of the comedian turned war hero’s victory have been viewed more than two million times since being posted online on Sunday morning. At the same time, there was intense fighting in Ukraine's second city.

A snake-hipped Mr Zelensky is seen waltzing, performing the paso doble, quickstep and an emotionally charged blindfolded dance as he cuts the rug with professional partner Olena Shoptenko.

Watch the video below.

There's a flood of disinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Here's who's sorting it out

Sun., February 27, 2022

A man walks past a damaged building in Kyiv following a rocket attack on Friday. Online sleuths have been using publicly available data to verify the images coming out of Ukraine and matching them to reports of damage from Russian attacks to help create a record of what's happening on the ground. 

(Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press - image credit)

A man lying on the ground, clutching what appears to be a severed leg, screams in agony. The pro-Russia account that posted the video days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine claimed the man was a victim of a Ukrainian attack. But skeptics were quick to point out the leg was a prosthetic.

While an unsophisticated fake, it's one of the thousands of images flooding social media around the invasion of Ukraine, keeping fact-checkers such as Giancarlo Fiorella with the organization Bellingcat very busy.

Bellingcat, which takes its name from an old fable about mice conspiring to neutralize the threat of a cat by putting a bell on it, is a collective of researchers, analysts and journalists who sleuth online using publicly available data — or open-source intelligence — to hunt down the origin of images, videos and information.

"We're all hands on deck on this at the moment," said Fiorella, speaking from Amsterdam.

Open-source intelligence investigators use a wide variety of tools to verify the images they are seeing, including the metadata embedded in pictures and videos, as well as geolocation tools, which help pinpoint the time and place an image was captured.

"The real challenge when it comes to Russian disinformation — at least what we've seen for the invasion of Ukraine now — is the volume of it. Just the sheer quantity of events that they're flooding social media with," Fiorella said. "There's so much of it."

Submitted by Giancarlo Fiorella

Several Western governments, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and the European Commission, are also vowing to fight Russian disinformation amid the ongoing invasion.

In a joint statement issued Saturday announcing fresh sanctions on Russia, including blocking some Russian banks from the SWIFT global banking system, the allies committed to co-ordinating their efforts against disinformation and "other forms of hybrid warfare."

Investigators focused on Ukraine images

Bellingcat, which has documented numerous incidents of Russian aggression over the years, tends to focus on humanitarian concerns. Right now, though, they are using that focus to triage the steady stream of information bombarding social media and verifying images of destruction and potential war crimes.

In one recent example from Ukraine, Bellingcat investigators were able to use geolocation data to verify some images and match them to reports of damage to some apartment buildings from a Russian attack near the city of Chuhuiv. This created a trusted visual record of damage on the ground.

"We're trying to focus on incidents that show damage to civilian infrastructures, like buildings, or civilian casualties," Fiorella said. "It's been heartbreaking to see the videos and the images of residential areas in Ukraine being targeted indiscriminately by Russian shelling."

Most of the images the group has encountered have come through Telegram, a messaging app created by two Russian tech entrepreneurs that is widely used in eastern Europe.

Fiorella says Bellingcat's work in the short term is to provide people with an accurate account of what is happening in real time. But in the longer term, it's about establishing a record, which it posts on its website and social media.

The evidence they gather, he said, will "hopefully make its way to a courtroom at some point in the future."

Russia's narrative

Disinformation disguised as news about the conflict has proliferated via Telegram accounts.

On Thursday, one Russian-language Telegram account, SCEPTIK, claimed that 82 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to Russia at Snake Island — a remote, rocky island that sits in the Black Sea — and were signing papers, stating their refusal to continue participating in military action.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were 13 border patrol officers at the outpost, and that they died after refusing to surrender. All 13 have since been posthumously awarded the title "hero of Ukraine."

Telegram/Google Earth

"From the moment when Russia invaded … Russia was trying to portray the Ukrainian military as weak," said Valentyna Shapovalova, who researches Russian propaganda at the University of Copenhagen.

"I've seen several stories in the Russian media talking about how Ukrainian military personnel has either been giving up or has been trying to join the Russian side."

Shapovalova said while the fact-checking that open-source investigators are doing is important, it may not have an immediate enough effect to sway the Russian narrative.

"Once people consume certain narratives, certain stories, it is very difficult to then revert the messages that they already got," she said.

"So it's still important to go out and ... stamp something as disinformation or propaganda or pure lies, if they are so. But whether it has an immediate effect is very difficult to say, unfortunately."

Submitted by Valentyna Shapovalova

Shapovalova believes the stream of disinformation may get worse as the conflict continues.

"I think what we will be seeing is a continuation of this play into grand narratives to foster support for the Russian actions," she said. "So I think we will see even more stories talking about Russia as a peaceful nation, merely trying to preserve peace in their neighbouring country."

The audience for propaganda

The use of propaganda is a well-worn Russian playbook — and the Russians have a specific audience in mind, according to Wesley Wark, a security and intelligence expert and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo.

"The idea is, in part, to see if there's some part of the population that [you] can win over to your cause," he said. "And of course, the Russians are hoping that Russian speakers in the eastern part of Ukraine might be convinced by some of this propaganda campaign."

Wark said the other goal of seeding false narratives and images is to destabilize, confuse and strike fear in the Ukrainians.

"And then there's an international audience for these kinds of propaganda disinformation campaigns — and the idea is there to win as many friends and supporters as you can," he said.

Ukrainians have seen this before. Many have grown up with a steady stream of disinformation from their powerful neighbour over television and social media and have become savvy enough to sift through it.

CBC

"With the sheer amount of Russian propaganda, we've learned how to trust the good sources and distrust the bad sources," said Illia Maslyanskyy, who moved to Canada from Ukraine in 2013.

"I would say that for most university-educated young people, who use social media, who are tech savvy, it shouldn't be too difficult to spot fakes."

Maslyanskyy worries more about older generations who rely on television and may not be as sophisticated when it comes to information that changes very quickly.

"We live by the half hour, everything changes on the ground so quickly," he said. "We rely on what we hear from our relatives, from our friends who are unfortunately stuck there and are very much hostages of the situation."

He says it's not just the war on the ground they're fighting. "We're also talking about informational warfare. We are at war against a professional propaganda machine."

And according to Maslyanskyy, "the propaganda has become very, very clever."

"Disinformation kills. Russian propaganda kills. It must be stopped, everybody needs to take a stance."

JUST SAY NO TO CENSORSHIP
Rogers, Bell to pull Russian state-controlled channel RT over invasion of Ukraine

Sun., February 27, 2022

A placard against Russian broadcaster RT is displayed at a protest rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Toronto on Sunday. (Chris Helgren/Reuters - image credit)

Rogers and Bell said Sunday they will no longer be carrying Russian state-controlled network RT in their TV channel lineups in the latest action against Russian entities following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Bell confirmed it is no longer carrying RT as of Sunday, while Rogers said it will pull TV network on Monday. It was not immediately known if the moves are permanent.

RT is a multi-language 24-hour news channel launched in 2005 — when it was known as Russia Today — and is now broadcast in more than 100 countries, according to its website. Funded by the Russian government, the channel has long been described by critics as a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin.

On Sunday, Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez applauded the decisions by the Canadian telecoms, calling RT the "propaganda arm" of Russian President Vladimir Putin "that spreads disinformation."

"It has no place here," Rodriguez said on Twitter.

Putin, high-ranking Russian officials and banks have been slapped with sanctions by Canada and other countries in recent days after his decision to invade neighbouring Ukraine.

The Canadian government on Sunday announced it will send at least $25 million in additional non-lethal military aid to Ukraine as that country fights against a Russian invasion.

On Friday, several Canadian phone providers — including Rogers and Bell — said they were waiving long-distance and text charges for customers looking to connect with people in Ukraine.

Ukrainian students, teachers at Etobicoke school find support as assault on homeland continues

Sat., February 26, 2022

Dniel Slavatynskyy, a Grade 8 student at St. Demetrius Catholic School in Etobicoke, Ont., and his mother Luba Slavatynska. (Dalia Ashry/CBC - image credit)

The principal of a school in Etobicoke, Ont., — where more than 90 per cent of students are of Ukrainian origin — says teachers there are equipped to provide emotional support to the kids, as Russian forces continue their assault on Ukraine.

Lily Hordienko says children at the St. Demetrius Catholic School are between four to 14 years old.

"Our children are very aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now," Hordienko told CBC News.

"Many of [the students] are coming with a lot of questions, fears, anxieties, so we wanted to be here ready for them."

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a special military operation on Ukraine before dawn on Thursday, ignoring Western warnings and saying the "neo-Nazis" ruling Ukraine threatened Russia's security.

According to Hordienko, half of the staff members also have family members in Ukraine, so they are turning to each other for support.

"It's very disheartening. It's a very emotional time," she said. "We're turning to one another."

Dalia Ashry/CBC

Canadians continue to show support for Ukraine and its fierce and urgent battle against a Russian invasion that has tossed life there into sudden chaos.

Saturday marked the third day of Russia's wide-ranging invasion of Ukraine — a move that has prompted condemnation by many world leaders and triggered a raft of sanctions.

'Words of encouragement and support'

Hordienko said the school's staff held a staff meeting on Thursday morning, the day Russia initiated attacks on Ukraine.

"We had some prayers, a little bit of words of encouragement and support," she said.

Hordienko said she also talked with the teachers about what to look for with the students.

Dniel Slavatynskyy, a Grade 8 student at the school says he feels hurt when he sees what's happening in Ukraine.

Slavatynskyy's family returned to Ukraine shortly after his birth in Canada. The family moved back to Canada when he was four years old.

"Ukraine is my home country, it's like part of my family, we talk about it every day," he told CBC News.

"We talk Ukrainian every day in our home, we talk Ukrainian at school, it's like [we're in] Ukraine but in a different country, you know.

"I feel bad. I see, like, people live streaming the sirens … people afraid because there are sirens everywhere. I feel bad, I feel kind of scared, you know," Slavatynskyy added.

Dalia Ashry/CBC

TCDSB will provide whatever is needed

Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee Markus de Domenico says Ukrainian families are going through "tremendous distress" right now.

He said that as soon as the assault started, he reached out to the principals and staff in his ward to let them know that the board is there to support the emotional and mental health of the students and staff.

"It's almost unimaginable to think of what they must be feeling with their friends and family back home in Ukraine and the Russian aggression against the civilian population in many cases," de Domenico told CBC News.

"The board is very willing to provide any guidance, counselling, whatever is needed."

Russia's assault is the biggest on a European state since the Second World War and threatens to upend the continent's post-Cold War order.

The crisis has galvanized the NATO military alliance, which has announced a series of moves to reinforce its eastern flank. While NATO has said it will not deploy troops to Ukraine, a string of member countries are sending military aid.

Two weeks before the assault commenced, Hordienko said St. Demetrius Catholic School organized a day in support of Ukraine.

"Students came dressed in blue and yellow and we took pictures and we made a poster and we sent it to the Ukraine-Canadian Congress and we tweeted it, we shared it with the Ukrainian citizens as well," she said.

Hordienko said members of the Ukrainian community in Canada "feel helpless," but "we're trying to do what we can, we're sending prayers, we're sending what we can but it's more difficult to not be able to do anything more than that."

"I'm getting strength from Ukraine, I'm getting strength from the citizens of Ukraine as they are unbelievably determined, unbelievably driven to fight this fight and to take it to the end," Hordienko said.

 Saskatchewan

Members of Regina language school worry about families in Ukraine

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'I feel really sad because of the war,' says student of Ukrainian language school

Theresa Kliem · CBC News · Posted: Feb 27, 2022 

Ridna Shkola in Regina is a Ukrainian Saturday school for children to practice the Ukrainian language and learn about the country's culture. (Noemie Rondeau/Radio-Canada)

It was a tough decision for the organizers of the Ridna Shkola Ukrainian Saturday School to open the doors yesterday and run their classes.

Many students of the heritage language school are children of newcomer families from Ukraine who have been settling in Regina within the last ten years, according to Olena Shyian, president of the Regina branch of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada — the organization operating Ridna Shkola.

"A lot of families are affected [by the war]," she said.

"But then we were thinking that these kids need to get out of their houses.… They need to be gathered together here and they need to talk to each other."

While some of the students were working on arts and crafts activities on Saturday, they had the opportunity to shareabout what was happening with their families in Ukraine.

Student scared for her family

Standing between the Canadian and Ukrainian flags, the students aged three to 12, as well as their teachers and parents, sang the national anthem of Ukraine, paying tribute to those in the war zone.

Some of the children present on Saturday said they are worried about their family members who live in Ukraine.

One of them is Ivanna Shyian, who was born in Canada, but whose grandparents and cousins ​​are still in Ukraine.

"I am scared for my family," she said. "They're all hiding, waiting for, like, the smallest thing to happen."

Ivanna Shyian is also concerned about all the children living in Ukraine, especially those in orphanages.

• Experts with Prairie roots surprised by speed of attack on Ukraine, but not by resistance to it

• There's a flood of disinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here's who's sorting it out

Fellow Ridna Shkola student Edgar Okhrymenko also wants the war to end.

"I feel really sad because of the war," he said. "I don't want the people to be killed."

Okhrymenko asks everyone around the world to pray for the people in Ukraine.

Edgar Okhrymenko is a student at the Ridna Shkola, a Saturday school in Regina, teaching Ukrainian language and culture. (Radio-Canada)

Ukraine needs help: Regina father

Petro Nakutnyyn is a father involved in the Ridna Shkola in Regina.

He is concerned for the safety of his parents, other family members and friends who live in Ukraine.

"They are safe at the moment, but the fighting is 80 kilometres from my hometown," he said.

"I have a group chat with my [former] classmates, and they're in bunkers. It's very sad. It's not something we ever, ever imagined, you know, going to school."

Like Olena Shyian, Nakutnyyn believes in the importance of talking about the situation with his children.

"It's very important that we keep that memory," he said. "That [our kids] know what's happening," he said.

The Regina father hopes the world can step up more to support his home country.

"We do need help," he said. "Ukraine has been, for the most part, left alone to fight."

Advice for school counselors

Olena Shyian hopes schools and their counselors will look out for students who are affected by the Russian invasion, for example because they have families in Ukraine.

She says like children from other countries that are affected by war, Ukrainian kids in Canada now also need support.

"Just talk to them, just hear them, just give them an opportunity to discuss what's happening," she said.

• Canadians show solidarity with Ukraine through rallies, calls for support on Saturday

• Sask. Ukrainians say relatives need more support to leave Ukraine, Canada can expect refugees

With her own pain over the crisis, Olena Shyian herself is struggling.

"I don't know how I can go back to work on Monday," she said.

"All I'm doing is checking [the] news and staying connected with my family. My mind is not at work and my mind is not there right now."

With files from Radio-Canada

GO PROTEST AT THE OLIGARCHS HOMES
Ukrainians living in London protesting the Russian invasion of their home country fear it's all they can do

Taiyler Simone Mitchell,Henry Dyer
Sat., February 26, 2022

I AM SCARED FOR MY FAMILY

Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images


Russia invaded Ukraine early Thursday prompting global protests.


Insider spoke to two Ukrainian demonstrators living in London.


"All of Ukraine is strong if they work together," a protestor told Insider.

"Today, I came here, I took my flag, I took my everything, just to support my country," 19-year-old Yurii told Insider Friday at a protest in London against the Russian attack on Ukraine. "It's the only thing I can do."

Yurii moved from Ukraine with his parents to the United Kingdom six years ago and currently works in construction management. He was one of the many protesters taking part in global demonstrations condemning Russia's further invasion of Ukraine.

"Sometimes, these meetings won't actually help," Yuri added, but "it feels right to do, because I'm Ukrainian, and Ukrainian soul, even though I've lived here for a long time. I have to come."

Protesters gathered in London to demonstrate against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Friday

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

They largely called for more government action.

Though Yurii said that the UK has made a substantial effort to assist Ukraine, he said more manpower from Western countries would help their defense.

"At least to be million percent sure, because we are sure that Russia will not do much harm. But we need more protection. We need air protection," said Yurii.

Yurii told Insider that his grandparents still live in Ukraine and that they have decided to stay in the country

Henry Dyer/Insider

His grandparents told him that they are scared, but over the phone, they've had one consistent message: "I'm happy that my grandkids, my kids, are actually out of the country. Youngsters are out. We are old, we are already 60s."

A Ukrainian demonstrator told Insider that 'Ukraine is strong if they work together.'

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Anton, who moved to the UK 20 years ago, told Insider that he would have participated in fighting against Russian forces if he could.

"It's my duty, to protect my country," he said. "And anything I need to do or they need to do to save, we will do it. Because we are Ukrainians."

Yurii agreed, saying that defending the country was the right thing to do.

"If I was there, I will take my shotgun from my shelf in Ukraine and go. But I am here because my parents took me here six years ago," said Yurii.

"I'm just true Ukrainian," Anton added. "All of Ukraine is strong if they work together."

Protestors planted signs urging leaders to cut off Russia on the fence outside of a UK government building, Whitehall.

Henry Dyer/Insider

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and announced he would send troops to those regions.

'No Putin, No War,' one sign read.

Henry Dyer/Insider

Early on Thursday morning, Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine in a televised speech that coincided with a special UN Security Council meeting. Shortly after the speech, the Russian attack began and explosions were heard in cities throughout the country.

After speaking with Insider, Yurii and Anton departed saying 'Slava Ukraini!' which can be translated to 'Glory to Ukraine!

BUY UKRAINIAN VODKA & BEER

UNB professor says pulling Russian products from shelves is largely symbolic



Sat., February 26, 2022

Alcool NB Liquor is pulling three variations of Russian Standard vodka. 

(anbl.com - image credit)

A University of New Brunswick professor says removing Russian liquor products from store shelves is symbolic, but won't have any significant economic impact in pressuring Russia President Vladimir Putin to back off the invasion of Ukraine.

Alcool NB Liquor has announced it will pull Russian-made vodka off its shelves. It sells three variations of the brand Russian Standard.

"That's certainly important symbolically for those of Ukrainian descent who are 1.5 million in Canada right now," said Henryk Sterniczuk.

Sterniczuk immigrated from Poland and spent multiple years working in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan working on democratic reforms related to economics and education.

"But … from the economic perspective, it is not very meaningful."

He said only a tiny fraction of hard liquor imported into Canada comes from Russia.

"From a symbolic political dimension, it is a very important gesture that whatever we can do, we should do to send a message to Russian leadership that we disagree with what they are doing.... But financially, this is not a sanction, which would be terribly painful."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday it would impose sanctions on Putin and his inner circle.

Sterniczuk said there is also meaning for the consumers in signaling that the products are being pulled. But he notes that those products have already been paid for by the time they reach stores.

However, he said there may be longer-term impacts, such as the future of contracts.

Likely the move would more directly hit the profits of those who own brands, such as Russian businessman Roustam Tariko, who owns Russian Standard.

What would happen, might be a snowball effect where factories in Russia reduce output of alcohol due to lower demand.

Sterniczuk said Canada should consider action like stopping the import of oil and gas from Russia to truly apply effective pressure.

"Sanctions are important, but they must be in an important area, not on the margins. They are on the margins at the moment.

"And so they will not change the policy, they simply give the Western leaders a sense of accomplishment."

From the consumer perspective

Fredericton resident Tim Thompson said it was important to reach out to Alcool NB Liquor to ask that products from Russia be pulled.

"I think it signals that Canada as a whole and on the international stage, that we're [in] solidarity with the Ukrainians, and with them fighting for their freedoms.

"It's important for us to ensure that there's no conflict and stay out of war as much as possible across the entire globe.... So whatever we can do peacefully and diplomatically, in order to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, is extremely important."

Political implications

Opher Baron, a professor of operations management at the University of Toronto, said seeing provincially run liquor boards make this decision is interesting from a political perspective.

"It is one thing if me, as an end consumer, decides to no longer purchase Russian imported drinks or in general, things that are imported from Russia," said Baron. "And it is another thing to say that a liquor board, which in some provinces are public companies, [is] doing that. So this becomes a political decision."

Patrick Doyle/Reuters

The liquor boards of all the Maritime provinces, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia are not selling products from Russia due to the situation in Ukraine.

The Société des alcools du Québec also announced it would be doing so. Initially, the board stated that it would not be removing products as it did not want to make a political statement.

Baron said other financial ties between the countries should be explored at the federal level.

"I'm more into trying to support Ukrainian products than trying to boycott Russian ones, especially because typically those boycotts will impact the people, not the leaders."

Ultimately, Baron said Canada should prepare a strong refugee policy to help those fleeing from Ukraine.

"I think that may have a bigger impact on the quality of life for more people."

SURPRISE! EVEN IN BELARUS THERE ARE PROTESTS AGAINST THE WAR

Watch: Anti-war march takes place in Moscow

Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine

 in central Moscow on February 27, 2022. - Photo by Alexander NEMENOV/ AFP

Police detain more than 900 people at anti-war protests across Russia

Police detained more than 900 people at anti-war protests that occurred in 44 Russian cities on Sunday, raising the total since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 to over 4,000, independent protest monitoring group OVD-Info said.

Sunday's protests coincided with the seventh anniversary of the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. Some of Sunday's arrests took place at an improvised memorial just outside the Kremlin at the site where Nemtsov was shot, a witness said.

The OVD-Info monitor has documented crackdowns on Russia's opposition for years.

A demonstrator is detained by police officers during a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine - ANTON VAGANOV/REUTERS

Experts with Prairie roots surprised by speed of attack on Ukraine, but not by resistance to it

Sat., February 26, 2022

Ukrainian service members collect unexploded shells after a fighting with a Russian raiding group in Kyiv in the morning of Feb. 26, 2022, according to Ukrainian service personnel at the scene. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images - image credit)

While not surprised about the war in Ukraine, Marnie Howlett says she didn't expect the Russian invasion to happen as fast or to the extent as it did.

The researcher from Saskatoon works at the University of Oxford, U.K., as a lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations.

Howlett said people might have expected tensions to rise in Eastern Ukraine, particularly Donetsk and Luhansk, but not an invasion across the country.

"We didn't expect Putin to escalate as quickly at this time," she said. "The tactics being used, I think, are what is most surprising."

Personal connections with Ukraine

As an academic with a focus on Ukraine and a woman of Ukrainian heritage, the war in her ancestors' home country has affected her on several levels.

Since Thursday morning she hasn't heard from one of her closest friends who lives in Ukraine. Howlett assumes he has joined the fight.

"It's very heartbreaking," she said.

"I feel like my life has been turned upside down since I woke up on Thursday morning, not only personally but academically. I mean, the place that I study is no longer and it will no longer be the place that I have been to."

While not born in Ukraine, the researcher calls the country her second home and her friends there family, she said.

After finishing her master's degree in Political Science in 2017 at the University of Saskatchewan, Howlett moved to England to work on her doctoral research, studying grassroot sentiments, nationalism, how borders have been drawn historically and how people feel about them.

"While this [research] can … highlight separatism, it also can highlight people's attachment to their territory," she said.

"We also see people's attachment to the state of Ukraine and their territory and their willingness to defend those borders…. We see Ukrainians willing to die for their country."

It's important to remember that Ukraine has been an independent country since 1991, said Howlett, however, Ukraine has not been treated as such by Russia.

Resistance 'very difficult' for Putin: former diplomat

Both Howlett and Colin Robertson believe Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't expect the efforts of the Ukrainian people to fight back while the Russian invasion continues.

"It has not been as quick as I think Vladimir Putin would have liked," said the former Canadian diplomat from Winnipeg, who is also vice president at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and executive fellow at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy.

"President Putin has swallowed a porcupine, and the Ukrainian people certainly seem to be demonstrating the resistance that their leadership was hoping to see. And that makes life for Mr. Putin very difficult."

The chances of diplomatic talk between Russia and Ukraine ending the war are pretty slim, according to Robertson.

"I think Vladimir Putin is determined," he said. "He has rolled the dice. He won't stop until he has seized the country."

In addition to Ukrainians fighting back, some protesters in Russia are also showing disapproval with their president's attack on the neighbouring state.

In 2014, however, there were demonstrations in Russia in support of Putin's actions when the country annexed Crimea, said Robertson.

This time, Russians went to the streets in 54 Russian cities to decry the invasion of Ukraine

"That's gotta trouble [him]," said Robertson.

"The challenge for Putin now will be maintaining support within his immediate entourage, who are now all being sanctioned and finding that their pocketbooks and their passports aren't going to be much use, as well as with the Russian people."

Howlett says it is hard to predict Putin's next actions.

However, she agrees with Robertson that the Russian president might have been surprised by the response of the Russian people.

While the protests alone might not be enough to stop Putin, it shows that people are willing to push back against their own government, according to Howlett.

Option to ban Russia from SWIFT

Several nations have been discussing the potential ban of Moscow from SWIFT, the Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which is used by thousands of financial institutions worldwide.

On Saturday several western nations, including Canada, said they were cutting off a number of Russian banks from the financial payments system.

This would not only affect Russia but also other countries such as Germany or Italy which depend on Russian gas imports.

SWIFT has only been shut off for one country once, according to Robertson. That was in 2012 when Iran was denied access to the system due to its nuclear program.

Many nations — including Canada — are condemning the attack on Ukraine.

The choices for NATO members to support the invaded country are limited, according Robertson.

The two only options are to apply military force or economic sanctions.

With Ukraine not being a member of NATO, it doesn't look like the Western nations will send any soldiers to fight in the war right now, said Robertson.

"If they were a member, it'd be a different story," he said.

"Then we would be at war with Russia today…. One of the things President Putin has threatened is that he would use tactical nuclear weapons, which would be catastrophic."

Howlett hopes Western countries such as Canada will open their borders for Ukrainians fleeing the war and having nowhere else to go.

As a Ukrainian-Canadian whose family came to Canada during the First and Second World Wars, she feels responsible to help the next generation of Ukrainians arriving now.

"We need to recognize that Ukraine will not be the same place," she said. "This situation will not be going away anytime soon."

Demonstrations in solidarity with Ukraine held across Canada on Saturday & Sunday

Sun., February 27, 2022

People in downtown Toronto waved Ukrainian flags on Sunday as they protested against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Lorenda Reddekopp/CBC - image credit)

Demonstrations were held in more Canadian cities to show of solidarity with Ukraine on Sunday, which marked the fourth day of Russia's wide-ranging invasion.

Russia's ongoing attack has prompted condemnation by many world leaders and triggered a raft of sanctions.

Many Canadians gathered on Saturday as well to show their support for Ukraine. Protests against Russia's invasion have been held around the world in recent days — including in Russia itself, where police cracked down on protesters.

Thousands of people marched in downtown Toronto on Sunday afternoon to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Grant Linton/CBC

The event, billed as "Mega March for Ukraine," was organized by the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who represents Toronto's University—Rosedale riding federally, was among those attending the rally.

During the march, the crowd chanted: "Stand with Ukraine!"

In Hamilton, hundreds attended a solidarity rally where people waved Ukrainian flags and held signs calling for the world to "stand with Ukraine" as people driving by showed their support by honking.

Dan Taekema/CBC

Thousands of Ottawa residents gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Sandy Hill on Sunday to stand united with Ukrainians and protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

Afterwards, they marched through the city's downtown core.

Kimberley Molina/CBC

The colours of the Ukrainian flag were later projected onto the Peace Tower on Sunday evening.

Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

Hundreds gathered in Kitchener-Waterloo on Sunday, as many Ukrainian-Canadians in the area grew increasingly worried about their loved ones caught in the conflict.

Sophia Gryshchenko, whose extended family lives in Kyiv and in western Ukraine, said the last several days have been extremely difficult.

"It's just scary every day to be like 'will they answer me the next day?'" she said.

"It's been hard to focus on school right now and to get everything done. Sometimes it's just hard to even believe and to process that it's happening in the 21st century because it shouldn't be happening."

Sarah Sears/CBC

In Eastern Canada, a gathering in Charlottetown saw scores of people meet at city hall Sunday morning to take part in a rally to show support for Ukraine.

Hala Ghonaim/CBC

Some carried signs that read "Stop War" or "Stand With Ukraine." A group of children waved the Ukrainian national flag and cars honked their horns as they drove by.

Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News

"Usually it makes me cry when I see that someone not from Ukraine shows their support," said Olexsandra Bezruchko, who is from Ukraine and attended the rally.

"My relatives are still there.... They're scared because they're seeking shelter right now instead of just having a great, wonderful Sunday."

In Quebec, there was an outpouring of continued support for Ukraine at a rally in downtown Montreal on Sunday. It was the fourth day in a row that Montrealers had come out to protest in opposition of the invasion.

Demonstrators had previously gathered outside the Russian consulate in Montreal.

Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News

"Most people here have family in Ukraine and we need to congregate and stay together in our own community to show support to one another," said Michael Shwec, the president of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress.

"We're calling on all governments of the world to support creating a n- fly zone over Ukraine."

Valeria Cori-Manocchio/CBC

In the Prairies, protesters showed their support for Ukraine at rally in Saskatoon on Sunday.

Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

Demonstrators gathered in Edmonton as well.

Trevor Bothorel/CBC

In British Columbia, about 150 people in Prince George gathered on the city hall steps on Sunday as part of a rally organized by St. George's Ukrainian Church.

The people gathered heard from Mayor Lyn Hall, members of local First Nations communities and shared songs and prayers for those in Ukraine.

Trevor Bothorel/CBC

In northern Canada, demonstrators congregated in downtown Whitehorse, flying Ukrainian flags and holding up signs.

Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Svitlana Koptyeva, the organizer of the Sunday demonstration, came to Canada from Ukraine10 years ago.

She said these are extremely difficult times as her brother and mother still live in Ukraine.

"I feel scared for them," she said. "This is something that everybody kind of knew would happen, but never believed it actually would."

Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

The ongoing demonstrations taking place in Canada echo the sentiments of those opposing the war around the globe.

In Russia, police detained more than 2,000 people at anti-war protests in 48 cities across the country on Sunday, a protest monitoring group said.

Protests denouncing the invasion of Ukraine ongoing in Montreal this weekend

Sun., February 27, 2022

Montrealers have come out to protest the invasion of the country for four days in a row now, with many gathering at Place du Canada on Sunday afternoon. (Valeria Cori-Manocchio/CBC - image credit)

On Sunday protests in solidarity with Ukraine continued in Montreal as the invasion of the country by Russian forces entered its fourth day — a move that has prompted condemnation by many world leaders and a raft of sanctions.

It's also the fourth day in a row that Montrealers have come out to protest in opposition of the invasion, with many gathering at Place du Canada on Sunday afternoon.

"Most people here have family in Ukraine and we need to congregate and stay together in our own community to show support to one another," said Michael Shwec, the president of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress.

"We're calling on all governments of the world to support creating a no fly zone over Ukraine."

Valeria Cori-Manocchio

Many in attendance at the protest Sunday also attended mass at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish Of The Assumption Of Blessed Virgin Mary in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie.

In his homily that morning, Reverend Ihor Oshchipko focused on the importance of forgiving even our enemies in times of war.

"It's not easy," he said. "But as Christians, we must do so."

Thirteen-year-old Earoslave Keseleuk attended the mass with his family, and took the time to pray for his grandparents who remain in Ukraine.

Rowan Kennedy

"I'm very scared because my family and friends are all in Ukraine, hiding in their houses and wherever they can," he said.

Attacks from Russia escalated on Sunday when missiles launched from Belarus hit an airport in Zhytomyr in northern Ukraine, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister said. Earlier in the day an oil terminal and gas pipeline were set ablaze.

CBC News

Ukrainian forces also battled Russian troops on the streets on Kharkiv Sunday, a key northeastern city of 1.4 million not far from the Russian border, while the capital of Kyiv imposed a strict 39-hour curfew in anticipation of a full-scale Russian assault.

Throughout the weekend the chants of "Shame on Putin, shame on Russia!" could also be heard from the Russian consulate office in Montreal.

On Saturday, protesters threw red dye on the snow facing the office to draw attention those who will die as a result of the invasion by Russian soldiers.

Rowan Kennedy

Marina Monossova, who was born in Moscow, said she's having a difficult time processing what has been happening over the past few days since the invasion began.

"I have the need to express what's in my heart," she said Saturday outside the consulate. "It's a feeling of rage, of shame, of guilt… It's hard to express."

She moved to Canada after President Vladimir Putin came into power, and never supported his presidency. She never expected Russia would move to invade the country.

"I really believed in the future of my country," she said. "It came by surprise, a horrible surprise."

Rowan Kennedy

Yulia Belyaykova, another attendant at the Russian consulate Saturday who was raised in Moscow, said she's ashamed and angry to see what's happened.

"For me we are one piece, one nation," she said, emphasizing Putin's actions don't represent the citizen's of either countries.

"We share the same deep roots," she said.

She's worried that regardless of what sanctions are taken, Russia will not be stopped.

"We're powerless, we're only united in our protest. That's what makes me devastated," she said.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a delegation would be meeting Russian officials for talks at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border. The Kremlin said talks had started Sunday.

Thomas Peter/Reuters

More than 368,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed into neighbouring countries since the launch of the invasion on Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi wrote in a recent tweet.

The mayor confirmed to AP that nine civilians in the capital Kyiv had been killed so far, including one child. Ukraine's Interior Ministry said Sunday that 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children.

'Scary and devastating': Ottawans rally all weekend in support of Ukraine


Sun., February 27, 2022

Protesters with their hands painted red demonstrate outside the Russian embassy in Ottawa against that country's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 26, 2022. (Nafi Alibert/Radio-Canada - image credit)

Nafi Alibert/Radio-Canada

Elena Luckman talks to her family in Ukraine daily while she still can, knowing that one day — if critical infrastructure goes down — she may not be able to reach them.

"It just absolutely makes no sense. So we're here to support the spirit of Ukrainian people to fight," said Luckman, one of dozens of people who turned out Saturday night for a candlelight vigil at the Ukrainian Embassy.

All weekend, Ottawans have been expressing their anger at Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, following last week's invasion of the eastern European country.

On both Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of people wearing the thick blue and yellow stripes of the Ukrainian flag gathered in front of the Russian Embassy, waving protest signs and offering support for Ukraine and its beleaguered citizens.

Some were originally from Kyiv, with family members still in the Ukrainian capital. They changed slogans like "Vladimir Putin, hands off Ukraine" and "Long live Ukraine" as passing cars honked in solidarity.

"It is hard for us to be here and not to be able to help them in any way, [other than] with our own love and support," said Irena Abramova, who described how family members back in Ukraine were in hiding every night.

"I'm afraid that my people will die."

Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

'Shreds of hope'

Sunday's protest saw hundreds gathered at the embassy before marching the two kilometres to Ottawa City Hall, where they unveiled a giant Ukrainian flag on the grounds.

"It's really tough," said Borys Bilaniuk, who has friends in Kyiv. "They show me videos of rockets, bombs exploding and gunfire."

He and his mother, Miroslawa, both say Ukraine is still their homeland and they felt they had to show their support somehow.

They said they both stay up until midnight, when the sun rises in Ukraine, to speak with their family.

"They're just telling us that they're surviving. They're holding on. They're full of hope that it will go away. They're just holding to the ... shreds of hope," said Miroslawa.

Nafi Alibert/Radio-Canada

An uncertain future

The night before, dozens of people like Luckman stood in the brisk cold outside the Ukrainian Embassy on Somerset Street W.

People sang while they lit candles in front of the embassy, where some said prayers in front of a makeshift altar.

Luckman said when she calls home these days, she hears sirens going off. Her family frequently has to seek shelter underground, she said.

"It's super scary and devastating. So we're not sure what's going to happen tomorrow," she said.

"Every night I can hardly sleep. and every morning I wake up with anxiety trying to get a hold of them, because I don't know."

Kimberley Molina/CBC

Yukoners show solidarity with Ukraine through large downtown demonstration on Sunday


Sun., February 27, 2022

Over 200 residents gathered in downtown Whitehorse to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Kanina Holmes/CBC - image credit)

Natalya Spassova of Whitehorse said her mom is a survivor from the Second World War, she was a five-year-old living in the Ukraine when it started in 1939. Now in 2022, she is still living in the Ukraine, and facing another war as Russia invades her homeland.

"I remember in her birthday parties she always said 'I hope we always see the clear skies.' We never understood what [it meant]," Spassova said of her mother.

Spassova said she feels as though she has no energy, but she's still trying to help her family overseas. Along with her mother, her brothers, nieces and nephews also live in the Ukraine and the invasion has become part of their everyday life.

"And now my family calls me every day, every half an hour, and they're saying there's shooting, bombing, shooting, bombing, tanks. And it's just horrifying," she said.

"I hope the Canadian government and the Yukon government can help us bring our families."

Kanina Holmes/CBC

Spassova was one of the 200 people who gathered on Sunday in front of the Prospectors Spirit Statue in Whitehorse, Yukon to show support for the Ukrainian people who are battling against the Russian invasion, which began on Thursday.

Some people were holding Ukrainian flags, others held blue and yellow signs asking for love and peace, while others held signs denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions.

Sissi De Flaviis/CBC

Svitlana Koptyeva, the organizer of the Sunday demonstration, moved to Canada 10 years ago. She was born and raised in the Ukraine.

For her, these are extremely difficult times as her brother and mom still live in the Ukraine.

"I feel scared for them," she said. "This is something that everybody kind of knew would happen, but never believed it actually would."

Koptyeva said she cannot stop checking her phone during the day to see if she has received any updates from her relatives.

"I received a message from my brother and he's like, 'oh, I'm sleeping on a bus stop today' in the middle of winter with no electricity and no heating. And it just kind of breaks everyone's heart," she said.

Kanina Holmes/CBC

Koptyeva said people don't need to have strong personal connection to care about what's happening in Ukraine.

She also hopes the solidarity demonstration brings awareness to people who might not know about the invasion.

"When something happens really fast, sometimes you're kind of out of the loop and you don't even know because it happened so fast. A person [walking by] wanted to know what's going on and he didn't know Russia invaded Ukraine," Koptyeva said.

As the main organizer of the event, she said she wanted to show people back in the Ukraine that they have support, "not only overseas, but in the far north."

Sissi De Flaviis/CBC

Supporting people in Ukraine

Spassova said she's helping her family by sending money.

"I hope they can receive it because everything shut down, banks shut down, everything is crazy there," she said.

Another way she's supporting them, is by calling them constantly.

The Yukon's sole internet provider, Northwestel, announced on Friday it would be waiving long-distance charges for calls to Ukraine until March 31.

'It's a total nightmare'

Several people walked to the front of the semi-circle rally on Main Street to share a few words about their family's situation.

"I never thought that in my lifetime we'd experience such events that we are seeing unfold today. It's a total nightmare," said one of the people in attendance.

Kanina Holmes/CBC

Politicians who were in attendance also shared a few words.

Ranj Pillai, the minister of Economic Development of Tourism and Culture, announced during the rally he had made a request to expedite refugee assistance efforts.

"We've asked to have one of our existing refugee programs expanded so we can quickly move people from the Ukraine into Canada as quickly as possible if they're seeking safe haven, especially family members of the Canadian community here," he told CBC News.

I received a message from my brother and he's like, 'oh, I'm sleeping on a bus stop today' in the middle of winter with no electricity and no heating. And it just kind of breaks everyone's heart, - Svitlana Koptyeva, demonstration organizer

City councillor Jocelyn Curteanu spoke on behalf of the city saying it stands in support of Ukraine.

"It is very important to make sure everyone has the right to live free, to live safe, and to feel secure in the country they are in, where they are from… And we welcome any Ukrainian that wants to come into Canada," she said.

Louise Hardy, a former member of parliament, was also in attendance.

"I grew up and lived in the Yukon when we had to be very vigilant about the Arctic and our sovereignty. Under these conditions none of us are now safe, we are all vulnerable, and we need and must stand with the people of Ukraine and their incredible courage that they are showing to us," she said.

"We do all truly stand together, no matter what political party is in power. We are Canadians and we support our multicultural heritage."

The United Nations said it has confirmed at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 people killed, in the fighting in Ukraine that erupted since Russia's invasion on Thursday — though it believed the "real figures are considerably higher" because many reports of casualties remain to be confirmed.

Sissi De Flaviis/CBC

Islanders gather in Charlottetown to show support for Ukraine

Sun., February 27, 2022

The rally in P.E.I. on Sunday included speeches and a flag raising. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News - image credit)

Grace Biswas hasn't slept much in the last few days.

"I received messages from my friends every day — audio messages with tears in their voice as they're trying to flee the country," said the 23-year-old who grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine.

"It breaks my heart."

On Sunday morning, Biswas arrived at Charlottetown city hall. A rally had been organized to show support for Ukraine after Russia launched an invasion late last week.

To her amazement, a large crowd slowly trickled in.

"I was very surprised about how many people actually came and showed their support," she said, noting that many were Islanders who had no direct connection to Ukraine.

"They also came and they listened and they were spreading the word as well. That means a lot."

'They're scared'

Some carried signs that read "Stop War" or "Stand With Ukraine." A group of children waved the country's national flag and cars honked their horns as they drove by.

"Usually it makes me cry when I see that someone not from Ukraine shows their support," said Olexsandra Bezruchko, who is from Ukraine.

"My relatives are still there.... They're scared because they're seeking shelter right now instead of just having a great, wonderful Sunday."

Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News

Members of the community also gave speeches during the event. In the crowd, some cried while others listened in silence.

"We wish it was just a terrifying dream but unfortunately it's the truth," said one speaker.

"We will never give up. We, Ukrainians, stand before you to show our faith and courage," said another.

'We stand with Ukraine'

A flag-raising ceremony followed the speeches. As the Ukrainian national anthem played loudly in downtown Charlottetown, the country's flag was raised outside the government building.

"We're ashamed, [we're] embarrassed and we are very guilty in front of all Ukraine people and we feel not just sorry, but we are very guilty," said Maria Skrigolovskaya, who is from Moscow.

Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News

Almost in tears, Skrigolovskaya spoke to CBC News making clear she supports Ukraine and so do family members still in Russia.

"My mom sent me this morning, only one message: 'Maria, please tell every Ukrainian person whom you know there and beyond that we are sorry, we failed. And we stand with Ukraine.'"

'My heart aches'

Back in Charlottetown, the crowd raised their signs and walked together down the street.

But the fight is not over yet.

Sheehan Desjardins/CBC News

Moving forward, both Biswas and Bezruchko plan to stay in touch with their friends and family back home and hope Islanders will keep them in their thoughts.

"My heart aches. I feel very hopeless that I'm here feeling like I'm not doing enough, and I wish that I can do more," said Biswas.

Bezruchko agrees.

"I have a lot of relatives in Ukraine left right now and I know that they're scared and I just want not to feel guilty because I'm here in a safe place," she said.

"Stay in touch with Ukraine and keep doing what you are doing because your support... it's heartwarming."

Hundreds rally in Calgary in support of Ukraine

Sun., February 27, 2022

Hundreds gathered at the Holodomor Monument in downtown Calgary to stand in solidarity with Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion. (Terri Trembath/CBC - image credit)

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth day, hundreds rallied in downtown Calgary to show their support.

More than 700 people gathered at the Holodomor Monument off Memorial Drive at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "freedom."

"I am devastated, this is wrong. I have [seen the] faces of my classmates, I have [seen] pictures of people I sat next to in university, trembling in subway stations," said Alina Schnieder, a mother of two who grew up in Kyiv.

"They have little kids like me and in four days their lives have been ruined. The trauma of hugging your kids while the rockets are flying behind your back? This is unforgivable. The world sees you and we will never forget."

Schnieder said she brought her young children to the rally so that they could understand more about the war.

"A few days ago when this started, I was dropping [my oldest] off [at kindergarten] and I couldn't keep my tears [in]. He didn't understand what was going on so he ran back and hugged me and said, 'Mommy don't cry.'"

The rally was organized by the Alberta chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC-APC), which on Saturday called for a ban on sales of Russian liquor products across the province.

Terri Trembath/CBC

The Holodomor monument itself commemorates the 1932-1933 famine and genocide in Soviet Ukraine orchestrated by Joseph Stalin, which killed millions of Ukrainians.

In addition to the rally, a separate cross-city walk was organized by Sasha Yankovs'ka. The group of supporters distributed blue and yellow ribbons to passers-by and handed out informational pamphlets.

The walk began at Kalyna Store on Macleod Trail and ended at the Holodomor monument, joining the rally.

Yankovs'ka said that in the midst of hearing so much bad news, walking in solidarity with those in Ukraine was something concrete that she felt she could do to help.

"This is all we can do for them. We can rally, we can inform people, we can ask for more help, we can ask for more donations to help them survive this war."

Yankovs'ka is 29 years old and has lived in Calgary for 15 years. She grew up in Crimea, a Ukrainian territory that was annexed by Russia in 2014.

"Because of Russia we're losing our homes for the second time in our lives.

Yankovs'ka said that her entire family — including her father, brother, sister and her cousins — are currently back home in Ukraine, and that she has now lost contact with some of them.

"We have to fight for our freedom, this is how it is unfortunately."

'Stand with Ukraine': Edmontonians lining streets downtown in support of Ukraine

Human chain shows solidarity for Ukrainians

CTV News Edmonton
Published Feb. 27, 2022 

Edmontonians joined together in blue and yellow to line the streets this weekend, showing their support for the crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

“My parents are still in Ukraine,” said Irina Salouk, who took part in the demonstration Sunday. “They are in their eighties and it’s very hard for me to (talk) about that, it’s very emotional.”

She says the past few days have not only been difficult for her parents and herself, but for everyone in Canada and in Ukraine.

Sunday’s rally stretched across downtown streets from 99 Avenue to 109 Avenue encompassing a long line of Edmontonians standing up against Russia’s continued efforts to invade Ukraine.

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“The motto across the world is ‘Stand with Ukraine’… we’re standing with Ukraine together all Albertans of Ukrainian decent and Ukrainians of many other heritage, supporting our people,” said president of the League of Ukrainian Canadians Edmonton, Taras Podilsky.

“I just talked to my cousin in Ukraine this morning and he was in tears when we heard that we had a thousand people last Thursday and again today we’re supporting them.”

He says there’s still many things people can do to help Ukraine, with one of them being a display of support for governments around the world taking action against Russia.

“We want to let our country, our government, and the governments around the world to know that the people support everything they do to put pressure on Russia,” said Podilsky.

Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi joined the human chain, saying “we will continue to show solidarity with the Edmonton Ukrainian community.”

“This is a terrible situation what is going but this gives me comfort, in a way, that Edmontonians are here to support each other and stand together.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Alison MacKinnon

Edmontonians gathered to line the streets downtown in a show of support for the people of Ukraine. Sunday Feb. 27, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton)

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Regina sees demonstrations in solidarity with Ukraine

The Ukrainian flag is being flown in solidarity at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building

(WayneMantyka/CTVRegina)

Wayne Mantyka
CTV News Regina Video Journalist
Updated Feb. 26, 2022 

Prayers and demonstrations were held across the city Friday, with more planned this coming weekend.

Ukrainian families gathered by the Holodomor memorial at the Saskatchewan Legislature Building Friday, fearing the worse could again happen to their homeland.

Many have been in constant contact with family in Ukraine.

“They are really highly motivated to defend their motherland from the totalitarian regime,” said Volodymyr Zavadskyi, a Ukrainian Canadian resident of Regina. “They are ready to defend Ukraine and they are really asking everyone to keep them in their prayers and support them.”

Prayer services and rallies are being held all weekend for the people of Ukraine.

Russian forces began an invasion of Ukraine early Thursday morning, advancing into the former Soviet republic from three sides.

“Talking to people for the last 72 hours nonstop online, on the phone. My nephews in Kiev, they’ve been bombed,” said Petro Nakutnyy, another Ukrainian Canadian. “My classmates are all over Ukraine and they’re with kids in underground bunkers.”

Saskatchewan is making it easier for Ukrainian families to stay in touch. SaskTel is waiving charges for phone calls and texts to Ukraine.

“We strongly condemn the unproved and unwarranted attacks on Ukraine and we want to stand in support of Ukrainians there and the ones that are in our province and we think that is the least that we can do,” said Don Morgan, Minister in charge of SaskTel.

Saskatchewan liquor stores are still selling Russian vodka with no decision made on pulling it as federal sanctions move into place.

“Well certainly we’ll need a wide range of responses,” said Michael Kram, MP for Regina-Wascana. “Certainly both humanitarian and economic and military and I’ve recently started a website, Stand With Ukraine.ca, to encourage people to sign up and let it be known that they are unhappy with the Russian invasion.”

Ukrainians now living in Saskatchewan are calling for as much support as possible from Canada. It includes humanitarian aid with several organizations now accepting donations for Ukraine.

Vancouverites rally against invasion of Ukraine, as Russia's consul to Vancouver resigns

Sat., February 26, 2022

Hundreds rally in Vancouver as part of a

Hundreds of Vancouverites rallied in support of Ukraine on Saturday afternoon downtown, protesting Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.

Protesters gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery, many waving Ukrainian flags, as the Russian military continued its attack on Ukraine, including in its capital Kyiv. The invasion has sparked Canadian and international financial sanctions.

The rally in Vancouver, billed as the "Stand with Ukraine against Russian Invasion" rally, is one of many happening in major cities around the world.

"I'm here today because I am in support of Ukraine, and I want to yell as long as I can to stop Russian aggression," Julia Tchezganova, who identified as being of Russian ancestry, told CBC News at Saturday's rally. "In Canada, this is all we can do ... to show our voice and solidarity with Ukrainian people.

"I'm pro-democracy and against the [Russian] regime."

Speakers at the rally led the crowd chanting, "Stand with Ukraine," on the gallery's steps.

A Vancouverite from Ukraine attending Saturday's rally said her parents had to flee their downtown Kyiv, Ukraine apartment this week because of the bombings.

Mariya Miloshevych said her relatives back home have been huddling in bomb shelters and hiding in parking garages.

"The last couple days have been really, really hard," she told CBC News. "My mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, my two grandmas are back there [in Ukraine].

"The best thing I can do is tell their stories. I'm here today to spread the awareness ... The more people are aware of this, the more people will realize how insane that in 2022 we have bombs destroying buildings and killing people."

'I am no longer the Honorary Consul'

Meanwhile, CBC News has confirmed that Russia's official representative in Vancouver has resigned from her post following the country's invasion of Ukraine this week.

Erin Campbell, who was the Russian Federation's honorary consul in the city since 2016, told CBC News she quit the role but would not be commenting further.

Asked about her resignation, Campbell said in a text message, "Yes, I am no longer the Hon. Consul."

Russia's embassy in Canada confirmed its ambassador, Oleg Stepanov, is aware of Campbell's decision.

"Ambassador Stepanov accepted Ms.Campbell's resignation," an embassy spokesperson said in an email Saturday. "And Global Affairs Canada was informed about it by the Embassy's diplomatic note."

Ashley Moliere/CBC

VPD work to 'mitigate disruption'

Vancouver police said its officers were prepared for "significant traffic delays throughout downtown Vancouver today due to several planned protests," the force said in a tweet Saturday.

"We will have extra officers working to mitigate the disruption. Please plan alternate routes if possible."

Following the Russian invasion, British Columbia announced it was ending sales of Russian alcohol products in provincial liquor stores.

Ukraine solidarity rally held in Kitchener's Victoria Park


Krista Simpson
CTV News Kitchener Videographer

Published Feb. 26, 2022 


KITCHENER -

A solidarity rally was the latest show of support for Ukraine from the Kitchener community.

Roughly 300 people came out to Victoria Park Saturday, with many sharing their fears for their families still in Ukraine.

"I cannot just stay calm," said organizer Michael Doroshenko, who came to Canada about eight years ago. "I cannot stay silent while I am here, so I am trying to do what I can to help Ukraine in any way possible."

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Many urged people to donate to support Ukraine and contact their government representatives to do whatever they can.

"Today was the first day I slept in the last three days, my family is hiding in basement," one person in attendance said. "My father, my grandmother who is 75 years old, hiding in a basement where it's winter and it's cold now.

"My emotions are overwhelming. It's very important to support Ukraine, not just with prayers or thoughts, it is important to do so with action."

Another in attendance said that, while some of his family have been able to get to safety, his parents and grandparents remain at risk.

"I'm really scared," he said. "I don't want to panic, I want to help my country and my family and my friends who are there in any capacity possible. The only way I can do it right now is to make sure I raise international awareness."

One woman says she has family in both Russia and Ukraine and that seeing people come together in Kitchener is meaningful.

"Not all Russian people support Putin's regime and support this invasion," she said. "The most important thing for me, I can see that people still share empathy, can be emotional, but can be together, even being from different countries, and still try to find a way together they can help each other and support."

Doroshenko adds that he was grateful so many came out to stand side by side.

"It's heartwarming for me because it makes me feel like we're not alone in this world," he said. "We're not fighting alone, we have the support of the people."

Another rally will be held Sunday afternoon at the same location in Victoria Park.

Ukrainian community in N.L. rallies in solidarity with those facing Russian invasion

Sat., February 26, 2022

The Ukrainian community in St. John's organized a rally on Saturday in solidarity with the country. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC - image credit)

A couple of hundred people gathered outside St. John's City Hall on Saturday afternoon in solidarity with Ukraine after Russia's attack on the country.

"For us to come and stand here is nothing compared to what the people of Ukraine are suffering with right now," said Brian Cherwick, one of the rally's organizers.

"Even this, it's helpful to send those messages back to Ukraine that people in Canada really care, we support [them], our government supports them, we're going to be doing all we can to help them out of this horrible, horrible crisis."

Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday, drawing sanctions and condemnation from many world leaders as the Russian troops advance on Kyiv.

Mariya Lesiv, another of the rally's organizers, said she's been in touch with people in Ukraine on an almost hourly basis. She said they told her having people stand in solidarity with them in Canada is helpful.

"It's a real psychological support for them to know that people across the ocean, so far away, are thinking about them," Lesiv said.

Henrike Wilhelm/CBC

The Ukrainian flag was raised above city hall during the rally and the crowd that gathered sang the country's national anthem.

Mykhaylo Evstigneev, a professor in the physics department at Memorial University, spoke to the crowd during the rally. Evstigneev said he's been following the events back home in Ukraine closely over the past few days, and he hasn't slept much.

"My colleagues ask me often, do I have relatives in Ukraine and are they OK, are they safe?" he said.

"I have 44 million relatives in Ukraine, and no, they are not safe."

Henrike Wilhelm/CBC

Both Cherwick and Lesiv have family in the western part of Ukraine. Theysaid while that area is relatively safe, things are changing very quickly.

Lesiv, a parent of young children, said she is concerned about the additional toll the war is taking on children and their parents.

"Yesterday I was speaking to my brother [in Ukraine] and his nine-year-old son came up to him and said, 'Dad, we probably shouldn't go to bed this night, should we, because what if they start bombing?," she said.

"I just started crying, because that was such a painful moment … how do you explain to a nine-year-old what is going on? And how do you explain it to a three-year-old?"

They said donating money through reliable sources, like the Red Cross, will help those in need in Ukraine.

But Cherwick also called on Western governments to freeze the assets of Russian oligarchs to help end the war.

"If we can do something to make it difficult for the people in power in Russia to continue their game of chess, and if it means shutting off their money, shutting off their access to Western luxury that they all love, then I think that's something we need to do as much as possible," he said.

Hundreds gather in Halifax to show solidarity with Ukrainian people


Sat., February 26, 2022

People carried a long banner in the Ukrainian national colours to show their support. (Haley Ryan - image credit)

Hundreds gathered at Grand Parade in downtown Halifax on Saturday afternoon to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to call for a stop to the war.

The planned gathering started with relatively few people, but the crowd grew quickly.

Some people carried Ukrainian flags while others carried banners and umbrellas in the Ukrainian national colours of yellow and blue.

The Ukrainian flag was already flying on the flagpole at Grand Parade

There were also large pieces of yellow and blue cloth stretched around the crowd like a ribbon.

Haley Ryan

Many carried placards bearing messages such as "Stop Putin! Stop the war!" and "Stand with Ukraine."

A tearful Nadia Timoshenko, who lives in HRM, said her ancestors were from Ukraine and she grew up in Toronto immersed in Ukrainian culture.

She still has distant relatives there and doesn't know what is happening to them.

Haley Ryan/CBC

According to Timoshenko, the events in Ukraine in recent days have hit her hard because of her deep connections to the country and culture.

I think it's important for Ukrainians and all humans to come together and stand against this," Timoshenko said.

"This shouldn't happen in Ukraine or anywhere in the world."

She said it was heartwarming to see the outpouring of support at Grand Parade.

Jane MacKay of Dartmouth attended the rally. She said the problems in Ukraine put Canada's recent problems into context.

"I think following what has gone on here in the last month, people need to recognize that our problems are small… so far," she said. "But they're all going to get worse if we don't stand up to this kind of thing."

The people gathered in Halifax heard speeches condemning the Russian invasion and applauding the bravery of the Ukrainian people and armed forces.

Haley Ryan

Speakers also referred to the bravery of the 13 military personnel on Snake Island who refused to surrender to the crew of a Russian warship and were all killed.

The people gathered also sang both the Canadian and Ukrainian national anthems.

Premier's office

Earlier on Saturday, the premier's office issued a news release saying Nova Scotia stood in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and said Province House will be flying the Ukrainian flag in support.

The province is donating $100,000 to the local chapter of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation in order to provide humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people, the release said.

"Nova Scotians were shocked and horrified by Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which endangers the lives of people and flies in the face of international law," said Premier Tim Houston.

According to the release, Nova Scotia will also be working with Ottawa to expedite immigration applications for Ukrainians wishing to move to the province.

The release said there are more than 9,000 people of Ukrainian heritage living in Nova Scotia.

N.B.'s Ukrainian community rallies in support of embattled homeland

Sat., February 26, 2022

About 150 members of Saint John's Ukrainian community rallied outside city hall Saturday. (Submitted by Kateryna Kryvolap - image credit)

About 150 members of Saint John's Ukrainian community rallied Saturday to call on government officials to further help Ukraine fend off an invasion by Russia.

Rally organizer Oksana Posatska and others, many holding signs, stood in front of Saint John city hall.

Posatska came to Canada seven years ago from the city of Lviv, which is near the border with Poland. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are fleeing the country in that direction.

She has a family in Saint John. For her, the situation in her homeland is heartbreaking.

Blair Sanderson/CBC

"We gather today to make our voices heard loud and clear," she said. "We require actions from our local governments."

Posatska said the community is demanding action to help the Ukrainian people, like stronger sanctions against Russia that would include banning the country from the SWIFT banking system.

"We need NATO to close the sky above Ukraine to protect and shelter Ukraine.... This is the least we can do as Ukrainians."

The conflict may be taking place across the world, but Posatska and the community feel an urgent need to heed the calls for assistance by Ukraine's leadership.

"We are so far from Ukraine," she said. "But we can ask for help. We can put pressure on our local governments, for our local politicians.

"This is not the civilized world we want to raise our kids in."

Ever since the invasion commenced on Thursday, Ukrainian communities across the province have rallied with anti-war messages.

Over 100 Ukrainian Canadians rallied outside Moncton city hall on Thursday. There was a smaller gathering outside Fredericton city hall on Friday.

Other rallies are planned this weekend around the region and around the country.

Government officials such as Education Minister Dominic Cardy, Liberal MP Jenica Atwin, Green Party Leader David Coon and Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers were scheduled to attend attend a vigil outside Fredericton city hall later Saturday.

Canadians show solidarity with Ukraine through rallies, calls for support on Saturday

Sat., February 26, 2022

People attend a candlelight vigil outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa on Saturday. (Nafi Alibert/Radio-Canada - image credit)

Canadians continue to show support for Ukraine and its fierce and urgent battle against a Russian invasion that has tossed life there into sudden chaos.

Saturday marked the third day of Russia's wide-ranging invasion of Ukraine — a move that has prompted condemnation by many world leaders and triggered a raft of sanctions.

It has also prompted people across Canada to demonstrate their solidarity with the people of Ukraine by attending various rallies and demonstrations against the invasion, which began on Thursday.

Keeping watch 'so far from Ukraine'

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday afternoon to show their support for the Ukrainian people. Many in the crowd chanted "Stand with Ukraine!" in unison.

In Eastern Canada, another gathering in Saint John saw scores of people meet at City Hall on Saturday to take part in a rally that was organized by local members of the Ukrainian community.

Their signs urged people to stand with Ukraine and to stop the conflict the democratic nation in eastern Europe has been forced to confront.

Julia Wright/CBC

Rally organizer Oksana Posatska said all had gathered "to make our voices heard loud and clear" and to call for support for Ukraine.

"We are so far from Ukraine," said Posatska, who used to live in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. "But we can ask for help."

Haley Ryan/CBC

At a Halifax rally that drew hundreds of people on Saturday, Nadia Timoshenko said her family had roots in Ukraine and she still had distant relatives living there.

"I think it's important for Ukrainians and all humans to come together and stand against this," Timoshenko told CBC News.

"This shouldn't happen in Ukraine or anywhere in the world."

Henrike Wilhelm/CBC

A Saturday rally in St. John's saw members of the local Ukrainian community speak about how the conflict's has impacted them. Hundreds attended the event, including local politicians.

It ended with the Ukrainian flag being raised in front of St. John's City Hall, and the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem.

The ongoing demonstrations taking place in Canada echo the sentiments of those opposing the war around the globe.

"I just want to say: '[Russian President Vladimir] Putin stop this, regain your sanity,'" said Hiroshi Sawada, when speaking to Reuters at a protest in Tokyo on Saturday.

There have also been people in Russia protesting against the war since the invasion started.

The Associated Press reported small street protests occurring in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities on Saturday.

'Hard for us to be here'

In Ottawa, dozens of protesters wearing the thick blue and yellow stripes of the Ukrainian flag gathered Saturday afternoon on a snowy sidewalk outside the Russian Embassy.

CBC

Carrying signs full of anger toward both Russia and Putin, the protesters — some originally from Kyiv, with family members still in the Ukrainian capital — chanted as passing cars honked in solidarity.

"It is hard for us to be here and not to be able to help them in any way, [other than] with our own love and support," said protester Irena Abramova. "I'm afraid that my people will die."

A candlelight vigil was also held Saturday evening outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa.

Daniel Thomas/CBC/Radio-Canada

In other provinces, a group of demonstrators gathered outside the Russian Consulate in Montreal on Saturday.

And in Winnipeg, an estimated 2,000 people turned out for a rally organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress outside the Manitoba legislature.

"We want the world to not just look upon us and say, 'We're sorry this is happening to you,'" said attendee Halyna Shtoyko, who came to Canada from Ukraine as a teenager more than 20 years ago. "We want the help, all the help that we can get."

Fears for loved ones

Varvara Shmygalova now lives in Toronto, but previously lived in Kyiv. She has loved ones still living in Ukraine and the peril they are facing is constantly on her mind — particularly with the shelling of buildings near the apartment where her grandparents live in the Ukrainian capital.

Maksim Levin/Reuters

"It's really awful and heartbreaking," she told CBC News Network on Saturday morning. "All of that is very, very scary."

Shmygalova thanked all the people in Canada offering support for Ukraine and urged them to continue to do so.

On Saturday, Ukraine's health minister said that at least 198 Ukrainians have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded.

And more than 150,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed into neighbouring countries since the launch of the invasion on Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted Saturday.

The invasion came after a prolonged Russian troop buildup along Ukraine's borders and a series of escalating warnings from Western leaders that such an action was increasingly likely.

Natalie Thomas/Reuters