Hundreds attended a protest on Friday afternoon outside the Russian embassy in Dublin, on the second day of protests in Dublin and around the world following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Among them were many Irish people who came to show their solidarity with Ukrainians, as well as people from Russia and Ukraine's neighbouring countries.
Giving a speech to the crowd, director of the association of Ukrainians in Ireland, Michael Baskin, said Ukrainians would "not stop fighting" for their country.
Protesters outside the Russian embassy in Ireland try to block an embassy car from entering, draping it in Ukrainian flags and chanting "Go home!" pic.twitter.com/jMSBHG7Ijh
— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) February 25, 2022
“They will fight to the very end. They are not giving up and we could not be more proud of them,” he said.
Members of Ireland’s Ukrainian community sang their national anthem outside the embassy and shouted chants of “shame on Russia!” and “Leave Ukraine!”
Gardaí attempted to keep the road clear for cars to pass but the crowd continued to grow and diversions were put in place. Earlier, a car attempting to enter the embassy was blocked by protesters.
During one Ukrainian woman’s speech to the crowd, she broke down into tears. Two Irish men shouted to her: “Stay strong, we are with you.”
Vitaliia Vlasova, who is from Russia and has lived in Ireland for over a year, said “after the invasion started yesterday, I realised that I am ashamed of being Russian I am here because I want to show Ukrainians that I don’t support the Putin regime.”
Ms Vlasova said she had "a lot of friends" in Ukraine and was "really worried for them".
Irish woman Leonie O’Dowd said she was “terrified for Ukraine” and it was “important for Irish people to show support to Ukrainians. I think solidarity matters at a time like this. Ukrainians don’t want to leave their country but Ireland’s gesture of waiving visas was really important as well.”
Russian aggression
Marius Marsejnii, who is from Moldova and has relatives in Ukraine, said he feared Ukraine's neighbouring countries may face Russian aggression in the future.
"That this can happen in the 21st century is not okay . . . if Ukraine is taken now, Moldova may be next, or it could be Poland, any of us," he said.
Mr Marsejnii said protesters wanted the Irish Government to take actions including the expulsion of the Russian ambassador, and for Ireland to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
While he said he recognised Ireland was militarily neutral, he urged support for Ukraine “in any way possible” and welcomed the Government’s announcement of sanctions.
On Thursday, three protests took place in Dublin in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. The crowds on Friday were substantially larger as hundreds more gathered to show their support to Ukraine.
At the Russian embassy on Thursday morning, the coat of arms of the Russian Federation at the gate to the embassy was doused in red paint.
Gardaí arrested a man in his 30s in relation to an incident of alleged criminal damage. He was detained at Rathfarnham Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The man was later released, pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.