A crowd gathered in downtown Montreal on Tuesday to mark the 1,000 days since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Hundreds of Montrealers of Ukrainian descent held a demonstration in Square Phillips, urging the federal government to provide more aid to Ukraine.
Michael Shwec, the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which organized the event, said it was important for Montreal’s Ukrainian community to show solidarity after nearly three years of war.
“It’s not a conflict, and it’s not a regular war. This is a full-blown genocidal invasion,” Shwec said in an interview.
“What we wanted to show tonight is that after 1,000 days, we understand it’s not 1,000 days of war. It’s 1,000 days of the heroism of the Ukrainian people. To withstand such a formidable opponent, it’s nothing short of a miracle and true heroism.”
Organizers also called on Canadians and the federal government to continue supporting Ukraine with arms shipments.
They argued that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds in his war of aggression, he may target neighbouring countries.
If a NATO member is attacked, they warned, it could trigger a massive conflict involving NATO troops, including Canadian forces, potentially leading to a global conflict.
During the rally, Ukraine’s national anthem was played, and several speakers, including Montreal’s honorary Ukrainian consul, addressed the crowd.
With files from Stephane Giroux.
