STATEMENT BY UKRAINIAN YOUTH ASSOCIATION (SYDNEY) FOLLOWING WEEKEND INCIDENT
The Ukrainian Youth Centre in Lidcombe was this weekend trespassed onto when unknown individuals raised the flag of Putin’s armed forces in eastern Ukraine above it. These individuals proceeded to post their provocative act of vandalism in a YouTube post.
Mr Justin Senko, President of the Sydney branch of the Ukrainian Youth Association, said:
“As Australians, it’s appalling to us that someone wants to import conflict into western Sydney in the same way that Putin is importing violence into eastern Ukraine.”
“Our hall is where kids come for Ukrainian heritage activities and where we promote good Australian citizenship. Several of our members have earned OAMs as adults. Only very strange and pathetic people would therefore think to target our hall – and previously our church – for the same aggressive and political agenda as those who shot down MH17.”
“We will talk to our own kids about the importance of always being better than those who seek to intimidate and provoke trouble – and that means adhering to Australia’s rule of law and respectful multiculturalism.”
“We have reported the incident to the NSW Police and the Community Relations Commission as it follows the fascist desecration by still unknown parties of St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe in 2014. Those authorities should meet with our community leadership to discuss what can be done to ensure public safety and community harmony, as there is now a pattern of targeting our community’s institutions.”
“People who do things like this need to know it’s against the law and they need to held to full account by the relevant authorities.”
The Ukrainian Youth Association has been active in Australia since the late 1940s and thousands of Australian kids have participated in its cultural and sporting activities.
