PROTESTORS gathered outside Torrevieja’s Town Hall on Sunday to show their solidarity for Ukraine in the wake of last week’s invasion by Russia.
The Plaza de la Constitucion rally was organised by Torrevieja’s Ukrainian Association and attended by city mayor, Eduardo Dolon, who also addressed the gathering.
Placards written mainly in English had slogans like ‘Stop War’; ‘We want peace for Ukraine’; and ‘The Russian Army kills our children’.
A number of banners equated Russian president Vladimir Putin with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, British and Spanish nationals were among the protestors.
President of the Ukrainian Association, Natalia Zhezhnyauska, said: “Today it is Ukraine but tomorrow it will be all of Europe”.
“Putin always wants more and if nobody stops him, we are all in danger,” she added.
Torrevieja has around 3,200 Ukrainian residents, while Russian inhabitants account for over 4,000 people- just behind the leading foreign group which is British expats.
Mayor Eduardo Dolon said the city ‘fully supported’ its Ukrainian community.
He said he had contacted the Policia Nacional to plead for entry visas to be processed as quickly as possible for refugees wanting to live in the area with families and friends.
The council is also donating food and medicine to the Ukrainian Association who will transfer it to their homeland.
Eduardo Dolon has met with leaders of Torrevieja’s two Russian associations who told him they fully backed the Ukrainian people and to continue to ‘live in peace and harmony with them in our city’.
READ MORE:
- Here’s what you can do to help people in Ukraine
- TRIPLE BLOW: How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could threaten €400 million worth of trade on Spain’s Costa Blanca
- Spain’s Malaga to offer accommodation to visiting Ukrainians who cannot return to their country
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