Ukrainian-Canadian community rallies to denounce Russian invasion

Rallies were held across Canada on Thursday as members of the Ukrainian community gathered to denounce the Russian invasion.

In Toronto, around 2,000 people attended a rally at Nathan Phillips Square as the Toronto sign and CN Tower were lit up in blue and yellow.

Earlier in the day there was a protest outside the Russian consulate where emotions ran high.

Another rally is planned at the Ukrainian Consulate in Etobicoke for 5 p.m. on Friday.

Canada has the largest Ukrainian population in the world outside of Russia and Ukraine. Thousands turned out in cities across the country to show solidarity with families and friends.

Hundreds of members of the Edmonton Ukrainian community gathered outside the provincial legislature on Thursday. Hundreds more gathered to show their support in Vancouver, singing the Ukrainian national anthem outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

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More rallies are set to take place in Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver on Friday.

A number of Canadian organizations have launched dedicated fundraisers to help with humanitarian relief as the crisis intensifies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced the creation of a new hotline Thursday, “for anyone at home or abroad with urgent Ukraine-related immigration questions.”

“We have worked over the past many weeks to prepare exactly for such eventualities,” the prime minister said in a sombre address Thursday.

Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Kyiv on Friday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that 137 Ukrainians, including 10 military officers, have been killed in the attacks so far.

With files from The Canadian Press