Students from Lake Cowichan Secondary School took to the streets of the town on March 3 to show their support for Ukraine as the European nation continues to desperately fight a massive invasion from Russia.
Members of the school’s Social Justice 12 Class made signs condemning Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin, for the invasion and supporting the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom and their lives.
The students are joining protests that are being held around the world against the invasion as the destruction continues and the death toll mounts in the uneven battle.
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Nate Davies, a Grade 11 student who has deep connections to Ukraine, said protesting the brutal invasion that has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people so far is important to him.
“My family comes from there so I felt I had to do something,” he said as he held a sign saying “Stop The War” with the colours of the Ukrainian flag in the background.
“I don’t want war in Ukraine and I want everyone there to live. Everything that can be done to stop this war helps and I wanted to do my part.”
His friend Alex Rudzek also said he wanted to do something to express his outrage at the war, and he fears for the future of the world.
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“I’m afraid the invasion of Ukraine will begin a domino effect that could lead to the Third World War and end all of our lives,” he said.
“Putin must be stopped now before this gets out of hand. People want to get more involved to help stop this and I’m glad so many passing motorists are honking their horns to support us.”
Sean Battye, the students’ social justice teacher, said he encouraged his students when they told him they wanted to take action against the invasion in the form of the protest.
He said, like many others, a lot of his students are anxious about the war and wanted to express their feelings in a positive way.
“It takes very little to do a lot,” he said.
“Carrying signs and encouraging people to honk their horns in support may not seem like a lot, but it helps get their frustrations out. It also shows people that the students support Ukraine and they do care a great deal about all this.”
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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