A member of Prague鈥檚 Russian community holds a sign during an anti-war demonstration, following Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, in Prague, Czech Republic, March 26, 2022. (DAVID W. CERNY / Reuters)
PRAGUE 鈥� Thousands of Russians marched through Prague on Saturday, waving the white-blue-white flag that has become a symbol of protests against Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.
Carrying signs that read 鈥淜iller鈥� over a picture of President Vladimir Putin and chanting 鈥淣o to War,鈥� protesters walked from Prague鈥檚 Peace Square through the center of the Czech capital. Police put the number of marchers at about 3,000.
鈥淲e are against Putin,鈥� said Alexander Sibrimov, a 19-year-old student who attended the protest with his father.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 agree with his politics. This is a way to show the world that the things happening in Ukraine are not right.鈥�
Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� to demilitarize and 鈥渄enazify鈥� its neighbor and denies targeting civilians. Ukraine and its Western allies have called that a baseless pretext for an unprovoked invasion.
The is home to 45,000 Russians, the fourth largest foreign community in the former communist-ruled country.
Nearly 200,000 Ukrainians lived in the Czech Republic 鈥� making them the biggest foreign community 鈥� before Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The Czech government estimates 300,000 Ukrainians have fled to the country.
鈥淭his is an act to show the Czech Republic and the Czech people that Russians (are) against Putin,鈥� protest organizer Anton Litvin said.
The protesters in Prague said they believed they were reflecting what many people in Russia feel but are unable to say.
鈥淛ust because we are Russians doesn鈥檛 mean we are automatically for the war. We are against the war,鈥� said protester Oleg Golopyatov, a former soldier who has lived in Prague for 15 years. 鈥淯kraine is a normal country. It is terrible (what is happening there).鈥�
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