Ukrainians in Barcelona denounce ‘collapse’ of refugee welcome center

More than a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of people have gathered for a demonstration to denounce the war in Barcelona’s central Plaça Catalunya square. 

Protests have taken place in the public space many times since the outbreak of the full-scale war, and a small group of demonstrators still gather every day with signs, placards, and flags in support of Ukraine. 

The protest, attended by around 300 people, saw a stage set up with speakers giving speeches about a variety of topics. Among the speakers was the Ukrainian consul in Barcelona, Artem Vorobyov, as well as refugees who fled from Mariupol, one of the most heavily bombarded cities on the southern coast of Ukraine, situated in between Russian-controlled Donbas and Crimea. 

Protesters denounced the “collapse” of the refugee welcome center in Fira Barcelona, which opened in the Catalan capital in mid-March. The first day saw long queues and much confusion, as only refugees with prior appointments were served. 

Speaking to the media, activist Ostap Petrushchak called for "more efficient coordination." While acknowledging the "superhuman effort" being made to manage the reception of refugees, he said that other countries such as Poland are receiving many more people and are "solving it very well". 

Activists who have been camping in the central square for a month have decided that from now on they will focus on boycotting actions and targeting Russian companies.

Another of the main topics discussed was the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in the Eastern European nation. Many media outlets on the ground in Ukraine have confirmed countless aggressions on civilian infrastructure across the country, including hospitals, residential buildings, and public buildings where it was signalled that civilians were sheltering. 

A manifesto in preparation for the event also reminded the public of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, the 1994 agreement signed between Russia, the United States, United Kingdom, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, which saw the smaller former Soviet republics give up their nuclear weapons programmes in exchange for guarantees that Russia, the UK, or UK would not threaten to or use military force or economic coercion against them.

The speakers also reminded the crowd of the importance of sending arms to Ukraine to help soldiers there continue to defend themselves, the importance of economic sanctions against Russia and the continued need to cut ties with Russian businesses, and the possibility of Ukraine joining the European Union. 

Some also spoke about the damage caused by Russian propaganda, both in their own country and internationally, in the midst of the disinformation war, while others paid homage to the heroism of Ukrainian women. Most refugees who fled the country have been women and children.

Voices from other communities were also heard, namely Bolivians, Georgians, Belarusians, and Latvians who are against Vladimir Putin.