People marched through Galway on third aniversary of Ukraine war

On Monday 24 February, marking the third anniversary of Ukraine war, a rally and march took place in Galway. About twenty minutes before 3pm, a handful of people carrying flags and signs were gathering in front of the Cathedral, under a clear sky.

“I was in my country for one year, I worked as a teacher, so I brought kids to shelters almost every day”, said Kateryna Lukashova, one of the first protesters to arrive. “My family unfortunately decided to stay, because they’re pretty old and they think they have to stay in their home, and I respect their decision”.

Kateryna is one of many ukrainians that found refuge in Galway: “I’m really happy that we can feel we’re not alone, that Ireland stands with us, I wanna tell this country that I’m grateful for the opportunity to stay safe”.

At 3 in the afternoon, more supporters had joined and the sound of Ukrainian war songs was already floating in the air, followed by their national anthem. Then the Deputy Major of the City, Cllr. Niall McNelis, expressed his support and mentioned that “the Ukrainian family are now one of our tribes, and the hope we have here today is that we will not have to meet again this year”.

Artem Kvashyn, a leader of Ukrainians Helping Ukrainians Galway (UHUG), also gave some words for the ocassion. He spoke in his native language and was translated by Olena Bratchenko.

“We have to talk about this terror, speak loudly and not be afraid of the condemnation or think about someone sensitive side, then all this tragic stories will be heard in the world”, stated Artem.

It was almost 4pm when the participants lined up at Salmon Weir Bridge. As soon as they started to march, rain and hail began falling, which forced a few people to seek protection and momentarily separate from the rest. But they recover quickly and rejoin the group, continuing their way towards the center of the city.

Once the march arrived to Eyre Square, the rain was gone and they were greeted by a timid sunshine. After a pause, the blue and yellow gale entered the streets again, shouting “Rusia is a terrorist state”.

They continued their way until arriving to Eglinton Canal Sea Lock, were River Corrib meets the sea, marking an end to the protest. Although weather conditions were not ideal, this never altered the energy of the people, whose voices were heard.

“I hope that the war is going to come to an end finally this year”, reflected Roman Stepaniuk, another protester, once the event concluded. “But the terms on which is gonna happen, the Trump proposals and the narratives that are being pushed in the media lately don’t sound like a victory for Ukraine”.

This was one of many gatherings that took place around the world, in support of Ukraine. As the ceasefire negotiations continue in the upper echelons of power, there is hope that peace will finally arrive.