“Fascists! Fascists! » “Putin you are screwed! », “Russian ship, fuck you!” » Since Saturday, March 5, the slogans have resounded every day at 10 a.m. in the city center of Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to fall into Russian hands three days earlier. An act of bravery, as shouting your opposition to the occupation is perilous for the 290,000 inhabitants of this metropolis in the south of the country. During the first demonstration, some 8,000 people, carrying Ukrainian flags, had gathered in the main square to urge the Russians to ” go back home “.
The testimonies collected by The world all say how Moscow’s large-scale offensive and indiscriminate bombings have turned the local population against those they now call for what they are, “occupiers”. “The number of people taking to the streets is impressive, wonders Démentii Bilyi, a Ukrainian journalist and political analyst based in Kherson. However, public transport does not work, but people manage to come as they can. »
On Saturday, the crowd advanced towards the central building of Kherson under the gaze of snipers posted at the windows. In the square, the Russian soldiers fired into the air in an attempt to repel her. “But there were so many people that the occupants ended up waiting in silence”continues the journalist.
“Let the Russians go home”
Oleksandr Moudriy, 33, is part of all the demonstrations. Russian propaganda, which presents the invasion of Ukraine as an operation aimed at ” to free “ the population, which would be hostage to a government “Nazi”pisses him off. “Let the Russians go home, we don’t need to be liberated by our enemies, enrages this actor and father. There are no Nazis here. The Russians are occupiers, and Putin is a killer. » In his eyes, on the contrary, it is the Russians who behave like “fascists” and “Nazis”.
“Zelensky is our president, we are proud of him, and we don’t want anyone else in his place, says Oleksandr, referring to the Kremlin’s plan to decapitate Ukraine and install a puppet government instead. Russia is not a country, it is a huge prison. I want to be able to travel, say what I want, vote freely. I want my daughter to be able to choose the life she wants. We need help. We had a nice peaceful life before the Russians arrived. »
You have 64.59% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.