Dozens protest in Prague against Russian aggression

Over 50 people protested Sunday in front of a UN building in Prague 1 against a Russian rocket attack on a residential building in Dnipro, Ukraine. About 45 people died and 43 were injured following the strike, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

We are protesting at the place that is also the seat of the Czech-German Fund for the Future, as we view the will of the German government to provide effective military help [to Kyiv] as inadequate," event convener Julie Levková told ČTK.

The attack occurred on Saturday and damaged over 230 apartments, CNN writes.

The organization that held Sunday’s event was Voice for Ukraine. Members of the protest played recordings of cries coming from Ukrainians that were injured in the attack. Some also lay down on the street in protest. 

Signs with the words “Russia is a terrorist state,” “exclude Russia from the UN,” and “more weapons for Ukraine” were also on display.

On its Facebook page, the Voice for Ukraine charity wrote that the aims of the protest were to encourage the exclusion of Russia from the UN Security Council, more weapons for Ukraine, and the demilitarization of Russia.

In response to Saturday’s attack, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted Sunday that “Russia continues to violate international law and trample on the principles of humanity. Those responsible must be held to account.”

A day earlier, on Jan. 14, presidential polls at the Czech embassy in Kyiv were interrupted following Russian-caused explosions.

Saturday’s protest is one of several recent pro-Ukraine demonstrations organized in the capital. Dozens of demonstrators on Jan. 5 protested in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague against the country’s aggression. The Million Moments for Democracy movement has also organized several protests in support of Ukraine in recent months.

In a telephone conversation with Zelenskiy last week, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that financial and military assistance from the Czech Republic to Ukraine would continue.

On a visit to Ukraine, Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib had the same message. President Miloš Zeman declared over the weekend that, if he were prime minister, he would tell Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine.