Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, various rallies and demonstrations have been organized in Barcelona and elsewhere in Catalonia.
On Wednesday, March 2, Barcelona said: “No to war”.
The massive outcry that made the city vibrate 18 years ago against the US attack on Iraq has now been revived by another unilateral intervention, the Russian Army against Ukraine.
The anti-war platform Stop the War (Plataforma Aturem la Guerra) organized the rally with the support of more than 300 entities.
According to the Guardia Urbana, the concentration brought together 3,500 people.
In the protest, the journalist and activist David Fernández and the actress Cristina Brondo read the manifesto published by the platform.
The manifesto expresses itself against “the current military aggression of the Russian government against the Ukrainian population” and expresses solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine.
“Beyond the shows of solidarity and declarations of condemnation, it is necessary to take action to stop the violence. We are facing the worst eco-social crisis in history, and wars aggravate this situation because they generate destruction and greater pollution, events incompatible with life. We need our governments to act to stop the escalation of warmongering before falling into a war of devastating proportions,” says the manifesto.
The Aturem la Guerra Platform was born with the war in Iraq in 2003. On February 15 of that year, the city starred in one of the largest demonstrations in the world against the war in Iraq.
The Ukrainian community is protesting
On Sunday, March 6, the Ukrainian community living in Barcelona called another demonstration in Plaça Catalunya.
Several hundred people (about eight hundred, according to the Guardia Urbana) rallied to demand an end to the war that began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for NATO to establish an exclusion zone in the area that prevent flight of planes from Russia.
The protesters, who carried Ukrainian flags and numerous banners calling for an end to the war and a no-fly zone, observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the war.
Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona has become the daily meeting point for Ukrainians since the outbreak of the war. People with Ukrainian flags gather every afternoon and several camp in the area at night.
