In pictures: 41,000 people across France protest against Ukraine war
Protests were seen in Paris, Rennes, Marseille, Lyon, and Lille, with placards against war and Putin. Plus, we share a new website that is sharing resources on how to help
Protesters in France have joined a worldwide anti-war movement across the world, with more than 16,000 counted in Paris this weekend
Vernerie Yann / Shutterstock
More than 41,000 people across France have protested against the Russian invasion of Ukraine this weekend, including 16,000 in Paris. Banners read “Save Ukraine” and “Killer Putin”.
Protests attracted around 41,600 people nationwide on Saturday March 5, the Interior Ministry said, on the 10th day of the Russian offensive.
There were 16,000 counted in Paris, including presidential election candidate Yannick Jadot and current Paris Mayor (and election candidate herself) Anne Hidalgo.
THREAD - 10 jours après l’invasion russe de l’#Ukraine, nouvelle manifestation à Paris pour dire non à la guerre et soutenir le peuple ukrainien. Pour @LeFigaro je vais suivre le cortège qui s’élancera de la place de la #République à 15h. pic.twitter.com/gkQE8ZQEmp
— Daguin Nicolas (@DaguinNicolas) March 5, 2022
Around 1,000 people were in Rennes; around 500 people were in the Vieux-Port in Marseille, and several hundred people were counted in Lyon, and Lille.
Protesters carried blue and yellow Ukrainian flags, and banners also included messages such as “Close Ukrainian airspace”, “avoid a nuclear catastrophe”, “Putin, you’re dead”, “Stop Putin”, and simply “peace”.
The protests ended with the national anthems of France and Ukraine.
There were other anti-war protests across Europe too, yesterday and over the past week.
Around 100,000 have protested in Berlin, 70,000 in Prague, 40,000 in Madrid, along with several thousand in Zurich, Switzerland; and several hundred in London. There have also been anti-war protests of several thousand people in Russia itself, despite the risk of harsh crackdowns and arrests.
Volunteer initiatives
It comes as a woman in Nantes, Camille Cocaud, has put together a website showing all the initiatives in France that are working to help Ukraine and Ukrainians.
The site, WeUkraine, is designed to put all the initiatives and campaigns in one place, to help people in France reach out to local communities and offer help in their area.
It enables users to make a donation, volunteer, welcome refugees, protest, and more.
More than 100 volunteers are now helping the site, with many more offering suggestions and links.
Ms Cocaud told FranceInfo: "I realised that there were some news articles talking about initiatives, but none near me. [Now] we have nearly two suggestions coming in per minute. That's huge.
"We have a team of volunteers who are helping to manage the influx."
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