Five Hong Kong protesters staged a demonstration on Saturday, three days before Russia’s full-blown war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the conflict.
Five members of activist group HK Anti-war Mobilization stood at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade on Saturday afternoon, holding placards and shouting slogans condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “expansionist” war in Ukraine – before their protest was cut short by authorities.
Among the five protesters were Yu Wai-pan, a former member of the now-disbanded League of Social Democrats political party, and left-wing activist Lam Chi-leung.
Lam held a placard saying: “Ukraine is not for sale,” while the sole female protester had one that said, “Occupation is a crime” and “Putin see you in ICC,” referring to the International Criminal Court.
The group read out a statement in both Cantonese and English, condemning “in the strongest possible terms” Russia’s war, which has killed thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians, as well as “two Hongkongers who volunteered to fight.”
The group was referring to two Hong Kong men who reportedly died in a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in southeastern Ukraine, while volunteering for the Ukrainian army.
‘Ceasefire now’
Standing in front of the sculpture The Flying Frenchman, outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the activists shouted demands: “Say no to hegemonic aggression,” “Russia, ceasefire now, withdraw troops now.”
They also called for confiscating Russian oligarchs’ assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The same group marched in Tsim Sha Tsui in October to mark the second anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and showing support for Palestine. They chanted slogans such as “Stop the genocide” and “From Ukraine to Palestine, occupation is a crime.”
On Saturday, the activists’ statement said: “Our support for Ukrainians’ self-determination is unwavering… All nations must cease supporting Russia. We stand by Ukraine in rejecting an unfair ceasefire deal and in refusing to give in to a superpower.”
The group also condemned the US for its “opportunistic attempt to exploit Ukraine’s natural resources” and for excluding Ukraine from negotiations. It also slammed Russia’s allies and countries that have continued to import natural gas from Russia.
The activists also voiced support for anti-war movements in Russia, where a sweeping crackdown has led to the arrest of some 20,000 protesters.
“We must reiterate that anti-war activism is not a crime. Russia must release anti-war activists immediately and cease its crackdown on dissidents,” the group said.
The protest lasted about half an hour before Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) officers asked the activists to leave.
According to a study published in late January by the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) , some 500,000 to 600,000 Ukrainian troops and around 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded or missing since the war began on February 24, 2022.
The study put the death toll of Russian troops at 325,000 and that of Ukrainian troops between 100,000 and 140,000.
The United Nations said in mid-February that more than 15,000 civilians had been killed and over 41,000 injured in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022.