Ukrainian Embassy decries planned Athens motorcade ‘against Russophobia and racism’

Ukraine’s Embassy in Athens has expressed concern over a planned motor parade in Athens on Sunday afternoon “against Russophobia and racism,” in effect calling for it to be banned.

According to available information, the motorcade will start near the former Fix beer factory, now the Museum of Modern Art on Syngrou Avenue and proceed to Syntagma Square and back. 

Here’s the complete announcement by the Embassy posted on its Facebook account in Greek, English and Ukrainian:

Comment of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Hellenic Republic

We are deeply concerned about convening the so-called motor rally “against Russophobia and racism” on April 3 at 6 p.m. in Athens.

No one can accuse Ukraine of suppressing democracy and its basic principles, in particular, everyone’s right to freedom of speech and the right to hold peaceful rallies and demonstrations! The revolutions of 2004 and 2013-2014 underline our commitment to democratic principles. And since February 24, 2022, in the name of the whole progressive world, Ukraine has been fighting against the barbaric state [whose] propaganda methods are known far beyond its borders. It is not coincidental that (a) number of European countries, including Greece, have decided to shut down the Russian TV channels as a source of fake or distorted information.

Even now, Russia’s widely promoted narrative of supposedly unhappy or discriminated Russians is in fact a deliberate attempt to divert European society’s attention from the criminal war waged against Ukraine by Putin and his inner circle. But it’s not only the Kremlin’s masters, but also Russian soldiers and officers, with 90% support (!!!) of the aggressor [country’s] society [as evidenced by Russian officials], as well as with support of most Russians living abroad, literally this exact moment are killing civilians in Ukraine, showing no mercy for children [or] for the elderly. Homes, kindergartens and hospitals are being deliberately targeted and destroyed. Miserable Russian “liberators” are robbing Ukrainian houses and rape women and girls.

Peaceful Mariupol turned into ruins in a few weeks of the low density “special operation.” According to official figures, more than 3,000 people were killed, but the real number is tens of thousands of innocent people killed, whom, according to the best World War II Nazi practices, “good Russians” simply just did not let out of the blockaded city.

[A] similar “peaceful” moto-demonstration that took place in Germany the other day, turned into a demonstration of devotion to the “Russian world” and support for Putin’s policies. During the demonstration, not so intimidated and not so unhappy Russians were roaming the streets of German cities with Russian flags and Georgian ribbons, a symbol of the attempted annexation of Crimea.

In our understanding, holding such an event, while Russian troops and mercenaries continue to destroy Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian people, is plain unacceptable.

We call on all conscious people for whom the words democracy, European values, human life are not empty words, but the values which you once had fought for, and for which the Ukrainian people are fighting now at the cost of their own lives, to do everything possible so that such events would never take place in Athens – the birthplace of democracy!