Downing Street rally sees hundreds of Ukrainians waving their country’s flag
Hundreds of Ukrainians waving their country’s flag and holding placards calling for peace join anti-war protesters outside Downing Street in rally against Putin’s invasion of their homeland
Protesters started gathering outside the gates to Downing Street at 5pm this afternoon in a show of solidarity Among messages displayed on placards were ‘Putin. Hands off Ukraine’, ‘Peace for Ukraine’ and ‘No to war’It comes as Boris Johnson today announced UK will ‘imminently’ level personal sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
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Anti-war demonstrators and Ukrainians living in the UK gathered this afternoon outside Downing Street to protest against Russia‘s military operation in Ukraine.
Hundreds of people – many waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine – were at the ‘Stop Putin! Stop the War’ rally this evening, in the area surrounding the gates near the Prime Minister’s residence in Whitehall.
Among the messages displayed on placards were ‘Putin. Hands off Ukraine’, ‘Peace for Ukraine’ and ‘No to war’.
Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Ukrainians also protested today in Belfast.
Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian nationals were among the crowd that gathered outside City Hall for the demonstration and vigil on Friday evening. Placards denouncing the war were held aloft and ‘we want peace’ was chanted.
Similar protests were held around the world on Friday, including in Italy, Poland, Georgia, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Brazil and the US.
It comes as Boris Johnson today announced that the UK will ‘imminently’ level personal sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
Anti-war demonstrators and Ukrainians living in the UK gathered this afternoon outside Downing Street to protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine
Hundreds of people – many waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine – remain at the rally this evening, in the area surrounding the gates near the Prime Minister’s residence in Whitehall
Among the messages displayed on placards were ‘Putin. Hands off Ukraine’, ‘Peace for Ukraine’ and ‘No to war’
The rally comes as Boris Johnson today announced that the UK will ‘imminently’ level personal sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
Hundreds of Ukrainians attended the protest in London, which began at 5pm today. The Prime Minister told Nato leaders in a virtual meeting on Friday that the UK would echo measures announced by the EU to target the Russian leader
Police officers continue to monitor the protest in Whitehall this evening. Referring to Mr Putin’s wish to recover territory which previously fell under the USSR, Mr Johnson said Russia was ‘engaging in a revanchist mission to overturn the post-Cold War order’
Above, demonstrators near No.10 tonight. Mr Johnson told allies ‘the UK would introduce sanctions against President Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov imminently, on top of the sanctions package the UK announced yesterday’, according to a No 10 spokesman
The Prime Minister told Nato leaders in a virtual meeting on Friday that the UK would echo measures announced by the EU to target the Russian leader.
Referring to Mr Putin’s wish to recover territory which previously fell under the USSR, he said Russia was ‘engaging in a revanchist mission to overturn the post-Cold War order’.
Mr Johnson told allies ‘the UK would introduce sanctions against President Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov imminently, on top of the sanctions package the UK announced yesterday’, according to a No 10 spokesman.
‘He warned the group that the Russian president’s ambitions might not stop there and that this was a Euro-Atlantic crisis with global consequences,’ he said.
Protesters show their solidarity with Ukraine at the London rally. The Prime Minister used his meeting to urge ‘immediate action’ over the banning of Russia from the Swift payment system to ‘inflict maximum pain’ on the Kremlin
Some anti-war demonstrators bore the colours of the Ukraine flag on their cheeks. The British Government has faced criticism that it has still not gone far enough despite measures to hit more oligarchs, and targeting more than 100 businesses and individuals
The scene in Whitehall on Friday evening. With Russian forces continuing to advance towards Kyiv, beleaguered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said sanctions had so far done nothing to deter the Russian onslaught
A woman holds a ‘Pray for Ukraine’ sign at the rally. It comes a day after countries around the world lit up their buildings in Ukraine’s flag colours to show their solidarity as Russian forces seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a ‘fierce’ battle
A Ukrainian expat makes his feelings known at the rally. Despite beginning the attack on Thursday, the Russian forces have yet to take any of the main population centres and officials believe they failed to achieve most of their day one objectives for the invasion
Some protesters implored Nato to ‘block the sky over Ukraine’. One official noted that the Russians were known to have thermobaric weapons in their armoury and that they had used them in previous conflicts
Some demonstrators were draped in the Ukraine flag as they gathered in the centre of London today
The Prime Minister also used the meeting to urge ‘immediate action’ over the banning of Russia from the Swift payment system to ‘inflict maximum pain’ on the Kremlin.
The move to sanction President Putin and Mr Lavrov comes after the European Union announced it was considering a similar move against the two men as it set out its latest round of measures in concert with the US and the UK.
The Government has faced criticism that it has still not gone far enough despite measures to hit five further oligarchs, and targeting more than 100 businesses and individuals.
Hundreds of people today protested in Belfast (above) at the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian nationals were among the crowd that gathered outside City Hall for the demonstration and vigil on Friday evening
Placards denouncing the war were held aloft in Belfast and ‘we want peace’ was chanted. Several Ukrainians who live in Northern Ireland addressed the event
The protest in Northern Ireland (above) also heard calls from Amnesty International for the Stormont authorities to ‘step up’ plans to welcome refugees fleeing the conflict
People stage a protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, on Friday, in Tbilisi, Georgia
Protesters gathered for a candlelit procession in Bologna, Italy, on Friday night following the Russian attack of Ukraine
People pray for Ukraine at the Independence Square in Zakopane, southern Poland, on Friday evening
Demonstrators hold placards reading ‘People die, Scholz watches’ (second right), ‘No SWIFT for Russia’ and ‘Turn off SWIFT’ during a protest in front of the Chancellery in Berlin on Friday
People rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in front of the Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium today
Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian embassy in Athens, Greece on Friday
Pro-Ukrainian demonstrators gather outside the White House to protest the Russian invasion, on February 25, in Washington, DC
Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against Russia’s military operation against Ukraine, in Sao Paulo, Brazil
With Russian forces continuing to advance towards Kyiv, beleaguered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said sanctions had so far done nothing to deter the Russian onslaught.
Meanwhile, Western officials have warned that the Russians could resort to thermobaric weapons – used to generate powerful, high-temperature explosions – if the Ukrainian military resistance continues to hold up their assault.
Despite beginning the attack on Thursday, the Russian forces have yet to take any of the main population centres and officials believe they failed to achieve most of their day one objectives for the invasion.
One official noted that the Russians were known to have thermobaric weapons in their armoury and that they had used them in previous conflicts.
The London Eye was lit up in yellow and blue in an expression of solidarity with Ukraine following Russia’s invasion
‘My fear would be that if they don’t meet their timescale and objectives, they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence,’ the official said.
On Thursday, countries around the world lit up their buildings in Ukraine’s flag colours to show their solidarity as Russian forces seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a ‘fierce’ battle.
Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with stripes of yellow and blue, as was the front of 10 Downing Street and Flinders Train Station in Melbourne, Australia as other nations have similar plans in place to show their support.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy was also lit up after Italy’s Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities of Italy Dario Franceschini tweeted about it.
