As Russia prepares on Monday 9 May, in an obscene show of strength and military pomp, to celebrate its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, Ukrainians world-wide are uniting to declare 9 May #RussianShame Day.
A global social media campaign, organised by the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) representing over 20 million Ukrainians, and supported by the AFUO, will urge supporters of Ukraine to divert attention from the forced celebrations of ‘victory’ in Russia with images of the atrocities committed by the Russian Army in Ukraine.
In Sydney, Australian-Ukrainians will also unite with the global Ukrainian community to mark Ukrainian Remembrance Day on Sunday May 8 with a Songs for Peace rally at 11am – 1pm at 1 Macquarie St, Sydney to honour the memory of victims of Nazism, and remember the thousands of people who have been killed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The event will feature singing and performances, and be joined by Alex Greenwich MP and Matt Thistlethwaite, MP.
“Putin and the Russian Federation should be profoundly ashamed to be celebrating ‘Victory Day’ on May 9. The violence and atrocities against civilians currently taking place in Ukraine is a Russian-sponsored repetition of the horrors we fought so hard to overcome in the last century” said Ms Kateryna Argyrou, Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO).
“Russia’s war in Ukraine is unwarranted, fascist, genocidal and imperial. Its war merits comparison with Hitler’s Germany, and deserves the condemnation of anyone who believes in a world which respects the norms of international humanitarian and human rights law, democracy and freedom,” said Ms Argyrou.
To show support for Ukraine, people can spread the word about the campaign on all social media, and by following and sharing posts from the Ukrainian World Congress social media accounts with the #RussianShameDay.
To find out more or get campaign/war images go to https://russianshameday.org.
DONATE NOW TO THE AFUO UKRAINE CRISIS APPEAL
Media Inquiries:
Ms Kateryna Argyrou – Co-Chair AFUO Mobile: 0423 204 988 (will be at the rally)
Mr Stefan Romaniw – Co-Chair AFUO Mobile: 0419 531 255 (Also First Vice-President of the UWC)
