Manchester uni students come together to support Ukraine

Students across Manchester have come together to fundraise and organise following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Organiser and University of Manchester student, Seba Bartuzi told The Manchester Tab they’ve managed to collect around seven cars’ worth of donations including clothes, toiletries and essentials to support people affected by the invasion.

Credit: Maria Obrębska

The efforts have been led by volunteers in the Ukrainian Society and several other societies including the Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian, Czech & Slovak, Lithuanian and Estonian societies. They’ve also been supported by the Young European Movement Manchester and the UoM Students’ Union.

Martin Penov a second year student at UoM and one of the activists involved told The Manchester Tab that last week they set up donation points in the SU building to collect vital supplies for refugees currently in Poland.

Credit: Sebastian Bartuzi

Now they’re planning to hold a series of events starting next week, to raise £20k for the British Ukrainian Aid charity.

Martin said the aims of the activists are to: “support our Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian students and contribute however we can to the ongoing relief efforts for the humanitarian crisis which has already created two million refugees in less than two weeks.”

Students also joined protests on Saturday, where hundreds of people came together for a third successive rally in Picadilly Gardens in support of Ukraine. Speakers from across Manchester’s Ukrainian community and beyond gave rousing and emotional speeches.

Credit: Sebastian Bartuzi

One young Ukrainian woman reduced most of the crowd to tears as she spoke of her father currently fighting and risking his life for the Ukrainian army.

Protestors gathered in Piccadilly Gardens

Chants of “Slava Ukraini” (glory to Ukraine) echoed throughout and organisers pledged to continue the demonstrations in the following weeks.

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