Furious anti-war protesters have descended on the streets of Australia’s largest city to rally against Russia’s devastating military action in Ukraine.
The protesters, from Australia’s Ukrainian community, rallied in Sydney on Friday morning, just hours after Russia started firing rockets into its neighbouring country.
Hundreds of Ukrainians are already dead and mass evacuations have taken place in parts of the country, with thousands more already believed to be missing.
With the crisis continuing to unfold overseas, more than one-hundred emotional protesters gathered in Sydney’s Martin Place in solidarity with the country.
Protestors pledged their support for their families and friends back home and called for more support from the Australian Government and other NATO allies.
Some called for military assistance to Ukraine while others wanted the government to fasttrack visas for Ukrainians into Australia.
The organiser of the event called on more Russians to come forward and stand up against Putin, who he claimed was committing war crimes.
“We are not against Russian people, we’re against what (the government) is doing to our country,” he said.
“Every Russian who wants to come here and who wants to stand with us and say ‘no war in Ukraine’ will be welcome.”
The emotional protesters took to the streets in the CBD, some visibly distressed while others carried colourful signs demanding peace.
Protesters were photographed with the nation’s blue and yellow colours painted on their faces, and carried signs with the words ‘stop Putin’.
Others were seen carrying signs that demanded world leaders ‘stop World War 3’, amid concern the conflict may have a serious ripple affect across Europe and the rest of the world.
People from Australia’s Russian community were also seen at the protests in support of Ukraine.
It comes a day after hundreds of protesters gathered in Sydney on Thursday evening condemning Russia’s military action.
In Melbourne, the city showed its support for Ukraine with buildings lit up in blue and yellow.
The rallies in Sydney come as protests heat up around the xjmtzywworld, including across multiple Russian cities attracting thousands of people.
Some 1745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has claimed his invasion of Ukraine was a desperate measure to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine from ‘genocide’ – a claim that has been refuted by world leaders and Russian civilians.
Air strikes fired by Moscow are pounding targets all over Ukraine, including air bases, while military helicopters are swooping over the smoking capital, Kyiv.
Panicked residents are beginning to flee the capital, while in the major city of Kharkiv, underground rail stations have become makeshift bomb shelters.
Multiple western countries, including Australia have imposed tough sanctions on Russia in a bid to de-escalate the violence.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin a “bully” and “thug” over the military action.
He said international leaders were banding together to condemn Russia’s “outrageous acts”.
“We denounce what are unilateral hostile actions in Ukraine,” Mr Morrison said.
“Even as these events continue to take place, we do call on the Russian Government to withdraw and return Ukraine to a peaceful situation.”
