Peace Activists to Hold Worldwide Protests: Russian Troops Out, No NATO Expansion

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has become a horrific war with more than 2,000 civilian deaths; apartment buildings, schools, and hospitals being hit; shooting at a nuclear power plant; and over one million Ukrainians fleeing the country. As the war could easily escalate further to become a war between the world's two largest nuclear powers, Russia and the United States, anti-war activists around the world are organizing protests this weekend to call for Russian troops to leave Ukraine.

While the coalition organizing the day of action denounces Putin's invasion of Ukraine and reckless veiled threat to launch nuclear weapons, it also recognizes the role that the U.S. and NATO have played in stoking the geopolitical crisis that led to this war. In addition to calling for an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, the coalition is also calling for no NATO expansion.

More than 100 cities are participating in the March 6 Global Day of Action, including Washington DC, London, New York City, Tokyo, Munich, and Rome. A list of all the cities participating and the call to action is on the coalition's website www.peaceinukraine.org

"In this day of action, we are uplifting the global outcry against Russia's horrific war and rising up in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the anti-war protestors in Russia to demand an end to the bloodshed and destruction," says Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK.

"Around the world people oppose this catastrophic war. They know there simply has to be a negotiated settlement to avert more terrible suffering and lethal escalation. On Sunday, people will be in the streets to demand the Russian troops get out, to support the Russian anti-war protestors and to send this message to leaders everywhere: War and military escalation are not the answer, the carnage must be brought to an end," says Chris Nineham of Stop the War Coalition.

The coalition organizing the day of action to stop the war in Ukraine was initiated by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, CODEPINK, No to NATO and Stop the War Coalition, and is supported by local, national and international groups across four continents. Protests will continue after March 6 as the organizations continue to mobilize for a massive, unified response by peace-loving people around the world to say No to War in Ukraine; No to NATO expansion, Yes to Negotiations and Peace.