by Yuliia Busniak
A peaceful protest has been held in Derby to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
More than 200 people took part in the peace rally, held in Derwent Street, near the Derby City Council House.
The event, which lasted more than an hour, was organised to unify refugees from Ukraine across the Derbyshire area and honour the country’s soldiers and citizens around the third anniversary of the Russian invasion.
It was arranged by the Derby branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain and saw those who participated stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
Credit:Association of Ukrainians in GB
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Chair Lydia Deremenda, who opened the peaceful protest with an emotional speech regarding the latest news about the war, highlighted the importance of Ukraine’s inclusion in any peace negotiations.
She said: “Today, we stand here together to honour all the people of Ukraine with an incredible courage, who sacrificed their lives to defend the independence of Ukraine as well as support those, who were forced to leave their homes, and those, who are continuing to fight for a better future.
“We want for people who sacrifice their lives to become a symbol of hope across the world and let our voices be heard.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 30,000 civilians have been injured or killed. Some 2,000 of those were under the age of 18.
The peaceful protest was filled with Ukrainian flags and signs criticising the unprovoked invasion and the actions of Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
Signs like “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and “Russia is a Terrorist state” were displayed, ahead of Donald Trump’s meeting with Putin to discuss the next steps in the search for peace.
The event was supported by Ukrainian music and poetry read aloud by protesters, with police officers surrounding the event to ensure security.
