Manifest

The Ukrainian community of Barcelona, the Ukrainian associations of Catalonia and all the people who are not indifferent to the war, we call you to demonstrate against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on a large scale, which began exactly 1 year ago, in the morning of February 24, 2022, and that is still going on!

First of all, we remember and honor all those who are no longer with us, all the people who have been victims of this war. The terrible massacres, such as Butcha, Borodianka, Izium, Mariupol, and many others, have clearly shown that Russia’s objective is not only the conquest of territories, but also the extermination of the Ukrainian people.

Russian troops in their wake have committed summary killings and dug huge mass graves to hide their crimes. They have left innocent people raped, tortured and deported, orphaned children, widowed women and men, fathers and mothers with murdered children, families, broken by the pain of a lifetime, grandparents who needed peace and rest, they have relived the anguish and the fear of past times. They have caused a humanitarian catastrophe with millions of refugees, brutal destruction of our cities, towns and heritage, as well as the looting of our crops, our resources and even our homes.

Today again we took to the streets of Barcelona to express our total rejection of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as in all wars, and to say ROTUND:

NO to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, massacres and torture, or any other violation of human rights during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or anywhere in the world, EVER! During this difficult year, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has registered more than 69.768 war crimes and aggression. And among Ukrainian children, the war has caused 461 deaths, 923 wounded, 344 missing, 16.207 deported, and it is still impossible to establish the exact numbers. Also, numerous torture chambers have been discovered in the territories already liberated, even one intended for minors.

NO to the rape of women, men, boys and girls, including children, which occurs in the most sickening and cruel ways imaginable by the Russian military! According to the UN, the ages of the victims of these sexual assaults are between 4 and 82 years old. We reject sexual violence as a weapon of war!

NO to forced deportations of families, boys and girls to the Russian Federation! According to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, there are data showing that at least 2,800,000 civilians were deported, without having any knowledge of their fate, or even if they are still alive. And in the “filtration camps” once again human rights are blatantly violated.

NO to the bombing of our towns and cities, nor to the use of weapons of mass destruction, especially prohibited weapons such as cluster, thermobaric or phosphorus bombs, nor other chemical or biological weapons, nor anti-personnel or anti-tank mines with which the Russian troops have watered the territory, nor to any other weapon used by the Russian army to kill the civilian population!

NO to nuclear threats from Russia, or to Ukraine, or to Europe, or to any other country in the world! This is the way a terrorist state operates: the use of the nuclear threat as a coercive strategy. If the international community gives in to Russian terrorism, we will have set a dangerous precedent for the future of the planet. On the other hand, Ukrainians ARE PEOPLE OF PEACE and we proved this in 1994 when we signed the Budapest Memorandum, an agreement by which Ukraine gave up all its nuclear weapons.

NO to the destruction of homes, residential areas, hospitals and other hundreds of health facilities, essential infrastructure for the fundamental well-being of the individual, such as access to electricity, water and heating, kindergartens, schools, universities and all kinds of educational centers, administrative, religious and other buildings, historical and cultural heritage, works of art, museums, libraries and archives, industrial and economic heritage and all places that provide employment and where there are jobs!

NO to the suffering of animals, the silent victims of war, nor to the damage to the environment, caused by the Russian invasion!

NO to the insecurities and violence against women and children who leave the country in search of refuge, caused by the sexual and labor exploitation mafias who deploy their recruitment networks taking advantage of the extreme vulnerability!

WE DECLARE that this war, like all wars in the world, is intolerable! Through the brutal and demonstrative violation of all the norms of international law, Russia seeks to destroy the unity of democratic countries and return to the world of imperialism and colonial wars. Considering that there are global challenges as relevant as climate change, the reduction of natural resources or the shortage of food in the world, we believe that Russia is putting all of humanity on the brink of disaster.

WE WANT just peace and freedom for the Ukrainian people! WE DEMAND the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, compliance with human rights and international law!

And finally, taking this opportunity, WE DEEPLY THANK the people of this great city – Barcelona, and all over the world, for all the help you have given us and continue to give us! Together we sent tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and gave a warm welcome to thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Together we held many demonstrations, rallies, charity events and other events to support Ukraine. Together we continue! Thank you so much to everyone for always being there. Visca Barcelona! Glory to Ukraine! Slava Ukraini!