The rally, dedicated to the second anniversary of the beginning of the Russian–Ukrainian war, was held on the evening of February 24 in the central square of Bialystok – Kościuszko Square. It was organized by the local Belarusian diaspora and supported by Ukrainian refugees and local authorities. The participants of the rally first of all observed a minute of silence for those killed as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The action was organized on Saturday evening, but despite this, a fairly large number of people gathered at the Kościuszko Square – about 200 people. Ukrainian, Polish and Belarusian national flags were flying above them. The participants of the rally held banners in their hands, as well as photos of destroyed Ukrainian cities. Belarusians stood with portraits of political prisoners.
The first voivode of Podlasie Jacek Brzozowski took the floor at the rally. He recalled how exactly a year ago a similar rally took place at the same place, and a year later we gathered again on the same occasion – disagreement with Russian aggression against a sovereign state.
“And this is an argument that we do not agree with the barbarity that Putin’s Russia is imposing on Ukraine and the entire free world. I remember very well, probably as well as you, this day two years ago, when this conflict broke out and what seemed impossible became, unfortunately, possible. And I remember that thanks to your involvement, all residents of Podlaskie voivodeship, residents of Bialystok, every gmina in Podlaskie voivodeship, that help went to all those who really needed it””
Belarusians and the Lukashenka regime should not be equated, said the organizer of the action, activist of the Belarusian diaspora Jan Abodousky.
Anton Golovach, a representative of the Ukrainian diaspora, called for solidarity with the Ukrainian people who are fighting Russian aggression.