St. Catharines rally for Ukraine draws close to 1,000 in solidarity
Published February 28, 2022 at 11:02 am
St. Catharines stands with Ukraine.
At the February 26 rally called together just the day before by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Niagara (UCCN), Facer Street was lined with supporters and those marching, holding up blue and yellow signs and flags, protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week.
The rally, which attracted just shy of 1,000 people, began at St Cyril and Methodius Church at Niagara and Vine Street and continued down Facer St to St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“Today, St. Catharines and Niagara came together to stand together united for Ukraine. People from all backgrounds came out to show their support for Ukraine,” said St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik.
“Thank you to Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Niagara President Irene Newton for organizing the rally,” he continued. “We must not stop speaking out until (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is out of Ukraine. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. The people of Ukraine need our support – please give what you can – it will make a difference. Pray for peace. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine against this evil act.”
On their Facebook page, the UCCN called the rally a huge success.
“Many people from the Polish, Italian, French, Fillipino, Romanian, Latvian, Belorus, Peruvian, Finnish, Slovak, Hungarian, supporting the Ukrainian population,” they said. “A thanks to our politicians for supporting us and being with us.”
“The Ukrainian Canadian community is grateful for all the support, and we continue to work hard to provide what we can for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, especially the refugees. Thank you to our clergy for their prayers.”
A similar rally, held January 30 in Niagara Falls, even before the Russian invasion, drew hundreds.
Members of the rally gather on the steps of the St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the end of the route. To the right, St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik addresses the attendees. (All Photos: Walter Sendzik Facebook)