RALLY IN DEFENCE OF UKRAINE AT THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE GENERAL IN TORONTO - NEWS

RALLY IN DEFENCE OF UKRAINE AT THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE GENERAL IN TORONTO
Print version

Published Friday, June 04 2010

The Ukrainian Canadian community of greater Toronto and surrounding communities held a protest rally at the Russian Consulate General in Toronto on May 30, 2010 to voice their opposition to the Russian regime’s aggressive neo-imperialistic policies towards Ukraine. The protesters brought to the attention of their fellow Canadians the struggle of the Ukrainian nation to safeguard its independence and democracy.

The initiative for the protest rally came from the World Conference in Support of Ukraine, Canadian Chapter: League of Ukrainian Canadians, League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada-CYM, Society of Veterans of UPA, Association of Former Ukrainian Political Prisoners; co-sponsors included Ukrainian Youth Association-Plast, Fourth Wave, Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union-CYCK. The event took place under the patronage of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Chapter.

Major tie-ups on the roads and subway in downtown Toronto did not deter over 600 protesters who made their way to the Russian Consulate General at the corner of Bloor and Church Streets on a blistering hot sunny Sunday afternoon. They brought with them dozens of Ukrainian and Canadian flags, organizational flags and banners, as well as very many protest signs calling for Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity and democracy, as well as for traitors of Ukraine to leave the country.

Christine Czoli from the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada-CYM and Zenon Ciz from the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union-CYCK opened the program with impassioned appeals to their fellow Canadian students. Ms. Czoli called on Canada’s youth to help Ukraine’s young people safeguard the blessings of freedom and human rights that we in Canada take for granted. Mr. Ciz spoke of how Ukrainian students are being oppressed for taking part in protests and urged Canadian students to stand-up for human and national rights in Ukraine.

Following a prayer from Rev. Anton Semchuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Mr. Markian Shwec spoke on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Toronto Chapter. He thanked the community for coming out in such large numbers and noted that such a large outpouring of support will surely be appreciated by the millions in Ukraine, who are demanding that their human and national rights be respected. He further noted that the 1.2 million Canadians of Ukrainian heritage helped develop and grow Canada into the prosperous democracy that it is today, and that the Ukrainian Canadian community together with their fellow Canadians will help Ukraine as well.

Mr. Borys Potapenko a guest from the U.S. extended greetings to the rally participants from his fellow members on the Executive Committee of the World Conference in Support of Ukraine WCSU, Mr. Askold Lozynskyj and Mrs. Oksana Prociuk-Ciz, and thanked the sponsoring organizations and all who helped make the rally such an overwhelming success. He noted that four similar rallies had been held in cities throughout the U.S., as well as Australia, and that an appeal to the Ukrainian nation analogous to the one that will be presented to the Ukrainian Consulate General in Toronto had been handed to the Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada by representatives of the WSCU during a meeting with him several weeks earlier.

Mr. Potapenko’s remarks were interrupted when an enormous, angry Russian bear appeared with two beautiful Ukrainian girls, attired in traditional Ukrainian outfits, shackled by chains to the bear. The Russian bear taunted the protesters and dragged and threatened the Ukrainian girls, who symbolized Ukraine. Suddenly, two young Ukrainian Cossacks appeared, rescued the Ukrainian girls and, to the cheers of the protesters, drove the Russian bear away - back to Moscow. The skit, performed by members of Plast and CYM, delighted the participants and provided some welcome comic relief.

The protest rally was further uplifted by an inspired appeal from the representative of the WCSU, Canada Chapter , Ms. Lesia Shymko, whose remarks cut to the core of the emotions of all those present when she said that Canada was the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence and, since the G-8 and G-20 meetings will soon convene here in Ontario, the Canadian Government and the international community must confront Russian President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin with a demand that they cease and desist in their efforts to undermine human rights, democracy and the independence of Ukraine and to observe and abide by norms of civilized behaviour. She said that Russia must maintain relations with Ukraine and all of its neighbours on the basis of mutual respect, good neighbourly relations, and non-interference in the internal affairs of independent states.

The President of the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada, Ms. Olyana Grod, called on all Ukrainian youth in Ukraine and around the world to unite as the future of Ukraine is in their hands.

Mr. Roman Halushchak spoke on behalf of the “Fourth Wave” organization that represents new immigrants from Ukraine. He stressed that Ukraine’s fate is up to every Ukrainian irrespective of where he lives, and that the Western countries must realize that a resurgent Russian Empire will threaten them as well.

Throughout the program, soloists from the Prolisok Ensemble, Dmytro Bilan and Ivanka and Solomiya Salo, entertained the protesters with beautiful renditions of patriotic Ukrainian songs under the direction of Mrs. Lesia Konyk who is the conductor and artistic director of Prolisok. The songs were complemented by Oksana Sokolyk’s poetry reading. Mrs. Sokolyk is the principal of the Yuri Lypa Ukrainian Heritage Academy.

Concluding the protest was the reading of a statement to the Russian Government and an appeal to the Ukrainian nation that were supported by overwhelming applause from the participants. The statement and appeal were delivered to the respective Consulates.

rally in defence of Ukraine

Patron Ukrainian Canadian Congress, UCC - Toronto

Initiator: International Conference in Support of Ukraine, ICSU - Canada Chapter:

League of Ukrainian Canadians, League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Ukrainian Youth Association-CYM, Society of Veterans of UPA, Association of Former Ukrainian Political Prisoners

Sponsors: Ukrainian Youth Association-Plast, Fourth Wave, Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union-CYCK

Statement to the Russian Government

Ukrainian Canadians have gathered at the Consulate General of Russia to rally in defence of Ukraine. Ukraine’s freedom is under siege, as the administration and government of the new President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, has increasingly come under intense pressure from the Russian government.

Through its network of agents and fellow-travelers, the Russian government has worked to destabilize Ukraine and to impose its control over the country. The Russian government is in violation of the norms of accepted international conduct by:

engaging in gross interference in the electoral process during the last two Ukrainian presidential elections,

undermining Ukraine’s progress in building democracy, civil society, rule of law and freedom of the press,

using energy supplies as a political weapon in order to force Ukraine to allow the stationing of Russian armed forces on Ukraine’s territory,

attempting to weaken the territorial integrity, sovereignty and national unity of Ukraine by instigating separatist movements and by sowing regional and ethnic discord,

attempting to delegitimize Ukraine as a European nation and, instead, depicting Ukrainians in racist, demeaning, and degrading terms,

engaging in historical revisionism including the glorification of Stalin’s genocidal regime that took 10 million Ukrainian lives in 1932/33, in an attempt to eliminate Ukraine as a nation.

Today, Russian rulers’ imperialist ambitions are being implemented through Kremlin tested schemes of repression and violation of Ukrainians’ human rights and civil liberties, freedom of speech and assembly, and restrictions on the press.

Therefore, Ukrainian Canadians and our fellow Canadians who care deeply for Ukraine gathered at the Consulate General of Russia in Toronto on May 30, 2010 call on the Russian government to cease and desist in its efforts to undermine human rights, democracy and the independence of Ukraine. We call on the Russian government to observe and abide by norms of civilized behavior and to maintain relations with Ukraine and all of its neighbors on the basis of mutual respect, good neighborly relations, and non-interference in the internal affairs of independent states.

on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community of greater Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Initiator:

World Conference in Support of Ukraine – Canada Chapter:

League of Ukrainian Canadians-LUC

League of Ukrainian Canadian Women-LUCW

Ukrainian Youth Association in Canada-CYM

Society of Veterans of UPA

Association of Former Ukrainian Political Prisoners

Patron:

Canadian Congress UCC – Toronto Chapter

Sponsors:

Ukrainian Youth Association-Plast