Local Ukrainians Protest against Pro-Russian Demonstration in Budapest

Local Ukrainians are protesting against a pro-Russia demonstration to be held soon in Budapest. The demonstration’s aim is to provoke, and has nothing to do with the exercise of democratic rights, writes the Hungarian member of the Ukrainian World Congress’s Executive Committee, Jaroszlava Hartyanyi.

The pro-Russia demonstration, dubbed ‘Let’s express our solidarity with Russia and say NO to the LIES of the EU, USA, UKRAINE!’, will be held on April 30 in Budapest’s Heroes’ Square. It is set to take a stand by Russia, Russian civilians and athletes; to condemn the war for which they say, “the US is responsible,” and to condemn the “excessive Sanctions imposed against Russia, which has resulted in Central Europe being devastated and facing an Energy Crisis and Food Crisis!”

Hartyanyi now addressed the Hungarian police to withdraw their green-light for the rally. She writes:

• they are protesting because, on February 24, Russia launched a brutal attack on Ukraine, and Ukrainians are right to defend themselves and they are not attacking Russian cities.
• “In the Russian-occupied territories, Russian soldiers are carrying out inhuman massacres, which the whole world protested against seeing the mass graves in the town of Bucha. In Heroes’ Square, a private individual unknown to us has called for a demonstration, thereby discrediting Hungary, Budapest and its beautiful square.”
• “This so-called solidarity with the Russian aggressor also discredits the Hungarian government’s policy, since Hungary has also condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
• Furthermore, this so-called solidarity is undermining the effective humanitarian aid that the Hungarian people and government have provided and are providing to Ukraine and its people.

Therefore, they respectfully request the withdrawal of the permit for the “provocative demonstration” as “it has nothing to do with the exercise of democratic rights.”

featured image: Russian soldiers in Volnohava; MTI/EPA/Szergej Ilnyickij