Make tea not war

Make tea not war

THURSDAY 3 MARCH, 2022

Our member and community activist Magdalena Zielinska discusses why she and her friends organised a 1,000-strong vigil in Birmingham following the invasion of Ukraine 

Following the terrible news of the invasion of Ukraine me and my Polish friends, Magda Breitkopf and Beata Zaborniak, decided to hold a vigil in Birmingham in solidarity with Ukrainians suffering on Sunday 27 February.

This was not a Polish-only event. We wanted to involve all communities to show the widespread support. We invited the Coventry Ukrainian Association and other Eastern European communities, as well as our friend, the talented singer Karolina Wegrzyn, to sing some Ukrainian songs and lift spirits. 

We are actually overwhelmed by the turnout, even the lord mayor Andy Street turned up and the leader of the council Ian Ward came, and they invited more people of Birmingham to join us. 

We had speakers from Ukraine, Georgia, Poland and Russia. The message was a very simple one, of love and solidarity, and a NO to war on Ukrainian soil. 

Lots of people brought donations of clothes to go out to Ukraine, so not only was the vigil symbolic - it was also practical. We will continue the collections focusing on medical supplies moving forward. 

Following our vigil, and others up and down the country, I understand the government has announced an extra 100,000 Ukrainian refugees will be able to come to the UK. This is a step in the right direction and we hope for more to be welcomed.

We hope to continue to highlight the needs of all those escaping war and persecution and ensure there is a safe passage for all.