Helsinki hosts a large pro-Ukraine demonstration | News
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (green), Ukrainian ambassador Olga Dibrova and 7-year-old singer Amelia Anisovych performed at the event.
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A large demonstration in support of Ukraine will be held in Helsinki on Saturday. Yle broadcasts the event live Arena.
Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (green) and the Ambassador of Ukraine Olga Dibrova spoke at the event. Dibrova said that Russia’s attack, now in its 192nd day, has targeted Ukrainian citizens in particular, and thanked Finland for its support.
Actor Ulla Tapaninen recited “Äidit”, a poem by a Finnish writer from 1942 Katri Vala (1901-1944).
There was also a seven-year-old Ukrainian Amelia Anisovych.
In early March, just after the Russian invasion, a video of her singing “Let It Go” from the Disney film Frozen The bomb shelter in Kiev spread worldwide.
Anisovych has performed at various events since escaping to Poland with his family, including appearances there as well as in the UK and Monaco. In Helsinki, he sang “Let It Go” and the national anthem of Ukraine.
Aaltola, Valtonen and musicians in Senatintor
The peace march, called We Must Not Forget, started at 14:00 at the Parliament building. That started the procession along Mannerheimintie to Aleksanterinkatu and ended at Senatintor.
Yle’s reporter who was there said that although there were only a few hundred people in the parliament building, there were about 2,000 in Senatintor shortly before the start of the program, a little before 3 p.m.
The Helsinki police estimated the number of people in the audience at 1,500.
Supplier Baba Lybeck hosts speeches and performances on the steps of the Lutheran Cathedral.
Senate square speakers included Mika AaltolaDirector of the Foreign Policy Institute, Yle’s war correspondent Antti KuronenProfessor of cyber security at Aalto University Jarno LimnellMP Elina Valtonen (NCP) and Julia PivovarA nurse from Kharkiv, Ukraine, who represents mothers who have fled the war with their children to Finland.
In addition to Anisovich, the performers included the opera singer and rock band Apulanta Walter Torikka and the Cantores Minores choir.
The event was organized by the Mothers for Peace Association with the support of the Helsinki Lutheran Church and the Ukrainian Association.
On September 27, the latter group hosted a fundraising concert featuring Ukrainian and Finnish classical musicians at Aatelistalo in Helsinki.