Fifth day of protests in Catalonia against Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukrainians and their supporters gathered in Barcelona's Plaça Catalunya again on Monday evening to protest against the ongoing Russian invasion of their country.

A crowd of around 200 gathered for the fifth day of demonstrations, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "no war".

Protesters also called for Russia and Europe to "wake up", took aim at the Russian president, shouting "Putin, murderer", and defended the territories claimed by Putin as independent republics, chanting: "Luhansk is Ukraine" and "Donetsk is Ukraine".

As evening fell in the Catalan capital, protesters lit candles on the ground, which were placed beside posters and blue and yellow balloons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Marches and hunger strikes

Monday's protest was the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations in Barcelona by the Ukrainian community.

Not long after the news broke that Putin's forces had begun their invasion, protests began outside the Russian consulate on Thursday morning. Some Russian nationals also attended the demonstration holding anti-war posters and chanting anti-Putin slogans.

Demonstrators then marched through the city center, making their way down La Rambla boulevard to Plaça Sant Jaume, the square where the Barcelona council and Catalan government headquarters are located.

Protests continued on Friday, before larger demonstrations of around 600 to 700 people on Saturday and Sunday.

Some people even camped out in Plaça Catalunya square on Saturday night and started a hunger strike, emulating the Maidan revolution seen in Ukraine in 2014.

Humanitarian aid

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian consulate and several entities have launched a network to accept food, clothes, and medicine donations from anyone willing to help. These can be taken to a Ukrainian church on 9, La Rambla, Barcelona.

Trucks have been leaving from there to the Eastern European country.