Saw this on linked in…
……..,
“I was born in Russia. My family is in Russia, some of my friends are in Ukraine. In the cities, that are currently under attack.
Yesterday I came across an opinion “if majority of Russians are against war, they would’ve done something”. This sweet naivety made me burst into laughter. Which is, in fact, incredibly sad.
If you don’t like something in Finland, you go to a strike or the protest. Then you go home, back to your family, drink coffee and watch TV. In the best case, your protest makes some things change. In the worst, it doesn’t.
If you don’t like something in Russia, you go to a protest. You get arrested (and often beaten up badly in the process), tortured by the police, thrown to jail. In jail, your human rights are nearly non-existent. I spare you the details. For organizing or participating in protests you can sometimes get heavier jail sentence than for murder or rape. Even better, if you make it to the “extremist” category (which is fairly easy actually) - you are officially a state enemy. You aren’t really a human to the state anymore.
Yesterday there were large protests against war in Ukraine. Nearly 2000 people were arrested in Russian cities. People, who are very well aware of what would happen to them, still went outside to show empathy and support for Ukraine, to express the sorrow and fury about the war. People, who are still hoping to change something in a hopeless country like Russia.
My point is - do not get an impression that Russians sit quietly and approve dictator’s actions while their neighbor is being slaughtered. Right now the nation does not have power. Dictator has. Most of the nation struggles with survival, being in the state of poverty. Those who dare to oppose those in power, disappear under mysterious (or not so) circumstances.
That said, I am not asking for sympathy. After all, it’s not my home or my family who’s being under attack right now, forced to sleep in a subway. And all above said does not justify or try to justify the aggression. All I’m trying to do is explain that NOBODY in their right mind supports this war.
WE DO NOT WANT WAR.
WE CONDEMN WAR.