Canberrans have been sending flowers and messages of solidarity to the ACT Ukrainian community, who are reportedly “devastated and heartbroken”, and a local Vigil for Ukraine is being organised for next month.
Jay Moran, volunteer with Amnesty International ACT/SNSW has long been monitoring the situation in Ukraine and spoke with Canberra Daily about the invasion by Russia that is underway.
“Prior to this invasion, I’ve been campaigning closely with Ukrainian Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) for LGBTQI+ rights and have had a close relationship with some of the people I worked with,” says Ms Moran.
“I worry for their safety. I haven’t been able to have any contact with them, but I’ve seen their organisation be active on social media. I think as individuals they’ve gone into bunkers to try and wait it out. It’s really scary.”
As part of the local Amnesty group leadership committee in the ACT, Ms Moran has been organising a vigil for Canberrans to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, and to “pray for peace”.
She says everyone in Canberra she has contacted to be involved with the vigil have been “super keen” to lend a hand and show their support.
“The Canberra Ukrainian community needs to speak for themselves, but I’ve spoken to the head of the parish at the Ukrainian Orthodox Centre, and he’s devastated and heartbroken. Some of his older congregation haven’t been attending events because of Covid-19, so they’re disconnected, scared, and lonely,” says Ms Moran.
“He said some of the older generation have been through similar situations in the past, and my heart was just breaking speaking to him.”
Ms Moran says the local community needs to show their solidarity and support for Ukrainian Canberrans who are “scared and feeling the effects of this war”.
“The news is really stressful right now, and there’s just been devasting actions from Russia. At my last check, there has already been 137 military and civilian deaths in Ukraine,” says Ms Moran.
“I’m glad the Morrison Government have enacted sanctions in the hope of putting pressure on Russia, but at the end of the day, people are my concern.”
Passionate and upset, Ms Moran has been seeing her Ukrainian contacts posting images of bombed buildings with civilian casualties. The bombing, she says, constitutes a war crime.
“I know they’re watching, and they’re documenting the images to show that Russia are committing war crimes,” says Ms Moran.
“We just sent a series of letters of solidarity to our Amnesty partners in Ukraine, and they sent back saying ‘thank you’.”
Seeing the crowds of people sheltering in metro stations from the bombs and the distressing images of civilian deaths in Ukrainian cities has prompted Ms Moran to organise the upcoming vigil.
The Vigil for Ukraine will be held on Friday 11 March 5.30pm at the Rotary Peace Bell in Nara Peace Park, Yarralumla. Speakers will be announced soon.
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