Rally honours children impacted by war in Ukraine

A demonstrator places a small pair of shoes down at a temporary monument dedicated to children impacted by the war in Ukraine. (Galan McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

Demonstrators came together at the Alberta Legislature Sunday in support of children affected by the war in Ukraine.

"We just want to keep reminding people that we need to keep talking about it, we cannot stay silent," said organizer Kateryna Didukh. "We have to remember that so many children are still not safe."

Didukh,from the Ukrainian National Youth Federation, said nearly 500 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded. Many others have been injured or separated from their parents.

"Our rally is dedicated to all children in Ukraine who have suffered because of Russian aggression," she said. "The ones that have been killed or wounded with the Russian bombings or fire, everyone whose parents have been killed."

To honour them and call attention to the ongoing violence, demonstrators laid down children's clothings and toys smeared with red paint.

"This is a symbol of their lost lives, this is a symbol of their future that was taken away," Didukh said.

Organizers also collected donations for families affected by the war. Money will go to programming in Ukraine for mothers and children displaced by the war.