Montreal protest condemns 'barbaric' Russian attack on Ukraine

Following a brutal military assault by Russia in several Ukrainian cities Monday, dozens of people held a protest outside the Russian consulate in Montreal to condemn the attacks and bring greater attention to the seven-month war.

The Monday morning rush-hour bombardment from the air, sea and land killed at least 14 people and among the targets hit was a playground in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. A university was also hit.

Waving Ukrainian flags and shouting "Slava Ukraini" (Glory to Ukraine) across the street from the consulate, protesters were unanimous in calling the war in Ukraine a "genocide."

Some held signs with Russian President Vladimir Putin's face covered in red paint.

Eugene Czolij, honorary consul of Ukraine in Montreal, said in a speech to the crowd that it was "one of the most barbaric" days of the war since it started on Feb. 24. 

He called the most recent attack, which wounded nearly 100 people and knocked out power and water to thousands of Ukrainians, was in direct response to Ukraine turning a page and winning Putin's war.

Recueillement sobre de quelques dizaines de manifestants qui dénoncent les dernières attaques russes en Ukraine devant le consulat russe de Montréal #noovoinfo pic.twitter.com/V9WfEPqXFE

— Anaïs Elboujdaïni (@AnaisElboujda) October 10, 2022

Czolij said Canada, along with the international community, needs to send a stronger message to Moscow to put an end to the relentless killing in his home country.

"To be able to impose a no-fly zone, to provide Urkraine with long-range weapons and to fully and totally isolate Russia so that western currency does not help fund this genocidal war," he said.

"That is the essential message that we are conveying today and that we will be conveying on every single day until this war is won by Ukraine."

People receive medical treatment at the scene of Russian shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Two explosions rocked Kyiv early Monday following months of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Among the crowd outside the consulate in Montreal was a man who said a shopping centre in his hometown was bombed by Russian forces during the invasion. 

Katia, a young Ukrainian woman who moved to Canada 15 years ago, also attended the protest. She partially covered her legs in red paint to show solidarity with the victims of war back home.

Dozens of people joined the protest at the Russian consulate in Montreal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. (Noovo Info)

She said she wanted to make her voice heard as she complained about a lack of media coverage of the war as it enters its eighth month and called on Canada to do more.

Ukraine needs military support — without it they won't be able to fight the "terrorists" who invaded her country, she said.

"I think it's important for Canada to understand that only militarily we can defeat Russia and not through messages of solidarity, even though we appreciate them," she said in an interview with Noovo Info.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday following the attacks.

"The Prime Minister condemned in the strongest terms Russia’s indiscriminate strikes earlier today on Ukrainian cities that have killed innocent Ukrainian civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure, and underlined that such egregious Russian attacks only strengthen Canada’s resolve to support Ukraine for as long as necessary," Trudeau said in a statement.

The prime minister is also scheduled to join a meeting with G7 leaders Tuesday to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

With files from Noovo Info