Toronto Rally in Support of Euro-Integration

John Moskalyk

In light of the events in Ukraine on November 21^st, 2013, pertaining to the government’s decision to summarily dismiss further consideration of the European Union Association Agreement this week, outrage and mobilization of opposition and student groups has been fast and furious both in Ukraine and around the world. In Toronto, a group of young people took it upon themselves to show solidarity to their brethren in Ukraine.

The small committee, chaired by Emily Bayrachny, Anna Jacyniak and Tynia Soltys, began organizing late Thursday evening, and hosted a town hall meeting on Friday November 22^nd. There, they came under the patronage of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and received unanimous endorsement of the community organization under UCC umbrella. Using social media and mass emailings, as well as phone drives to disseminate information, word of a peaceful demonstration spread at lightning speed throughout Toronto’s Ukrainian community.

On Sunday November 24^th at 2pm, over three hundred people gathered in front of Ukraine’s Consulate General on Toronto’s Lakeshore, to show support for the protests in Ukraine. MC Emily Bayrachny greeted the crowd, and invited Fr. Volodymyr Makarenko (Ukrainian Orthodox Church) and Frs. Oleh Yuryk and Oleg Kachur (Ukrainian Catholic Church) to open the gathering with a prayer.

Student Emiliya Umrykhina from Volodymyr-Volynsk and currently studying at the University of Toronto, spoke of what European integration means for the future of her country. She poignantly reminded the Ukrainian government that without the people, their positions are redundant, and that it was in their best interests to support the will of the people in their quest to integrate with Europe. Mr. Orest Steciw of the League of Ukrainian Canadians commended the group, and spoke of the rallies happening concurrently in Ukraine, also organized by students and youth, and read from their manifesto defining the protests as peacefully in favour of EU integration. Renowned journalist Stepan Bandera gave an intrinsic analysis of the events leading up to Thursday’s decision by Ukrainian law-makers, and also plausible outcomes for the future. He also drew parallels between the current mass-protests, and those that materialized during the Orange Revolution in 2004, however reminding the crowd that the time-line for this decision was much shorter, with November 28^th only days away.

Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress spoke proudly of our community’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and of other organized rallies taking place across Canada. Mr. Grod further stated that when he meets with the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Volodymyr Rybak, on Monday November 25 in Ottawa, he will urge him to return to Kyiv, and reconvene parliament in the hopes of furthering Ukraine’s possible European Integration. Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Centre, and chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, Ted Opitz spoke of his disappointment in recent events. Mr. Opitz had been scheduled to fly to Ukraine on Thursday to partake in the 80^th anniversary of Holodomor memorial ceremonies in Kyiv, but cancelled his trip due to the actions taken by Ukraine’s government on November 21^st. Expressing tremendous praise for Ukraine’s youth, and those he has mentored through CUPP, Mr. Opitz promised to take the concerns of the Ukrainian community with him to Ottawa, and to ensure that the government of Canada continues to remind the government of Ukraine of these concerns.

The demonstration was concluded with closing remarks by Mrs. Oksana Rewa, president of Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Toronto Branch), and with the singing of both national anthems. The entire proceedings had been enriched with musical interludes by the talented Halyna Cechowska and Iwona Kowal. Despite temperatures below freezing, the crowds sent an optimistic message of hope and solidarity to the people of their ancestral homeland- one that each member of our community hopes that the government of Ukraine will head and take notice of. As the crowd chanted yesterday: “Ukraine IS Europe”.