'It gives them strength': Hundreds march in Shrewsbury in support of Ukraine

One estimate of the crowd that filled Pride Hill from top to bottom with fluttering blue and yellow Ukrainian flags was that "more than 1,000" people had turned out.

People came from across the town, the county and beyond, to walk from Shrewsbury Castle to the Quarry park. Shoppers stood and watched, some applauded, some took pictures and others waved flags too.

Shrewsbury teacher Richard Corbett, who has been married to Ukranian teacher Olena since July 2021, told the huge crowd: "On behalf of the Ukranian people, thank you very much, it means a lot."

Olena is now in Poland and is starting the process of applying for entry to the UK.

Mr Corbett told the crowd in the Quarry that his 21-year-old step-daughter, Anya, had a 50-hour journey to safety from the capital Kyiv. He has asked for his wife and step-daughter's surnames not to be revealed because of fears for the safety of relatives still in the country.

"Anya saw things that a 21-year-old girl should not see, in a packed railway station with screaming mothers and their children. She hasn't said much but I can join the dots," he said.

The march was organised by Oksana Chapman, whose mother, brother and sister in law live close to the Romanian border and have heard the Russian army attack.

"I can't watch the news," said Ms Chapman.

"I am praying it will end tomorrow. This feels like a drop in the ocean but we are doing it to raise awareness of the plight of the people and to give people the chance to support us."

A Facebook page has been created, called Ukraine Front Line Support, at facebook.com/groups/wesupportfrontline - because it says in Ukraine everyone is "on the front line".

"They feel the support they are being given," added Ms Chapman.

"We hope it will also help persuade the Government to help more, by making a big noise and to get them to act."

John, 76, and Joan Miller, 72, from Shrewsbury, turned out to show their support for their two Ukrainian daughters-in-law, who married their sons, Andrew and James, but are not in Ukraine now, although the women have friends and family there.

Both knew that the march was happening, and Andrew and James' uncles and aunts, Edna and David Cleaver, and Richard Boulter, were also there.

Mr Miller, wearing a Ukrainian football scarf, was clearly choked about the situation following the Vladimir Putin's invasion.

"I have been to all the places that are now being destroyed," he said.

Mrs Miller said: "We have come to support the families. We can't do much for them but we can think about them."

The sense of powerlessness in the face of such aggression was common among the people the Shropshire Star spoke to.

Susie Verity, from Easthope, near Wenlock Edge, felt so strongly that she travelled to town to be at the march.

"Humanity brings me here because we are all one, without a care for nationality or race," she said.

"I hope Putin goes, that someone takes him out. I feel sorry for the Russian people, too they don't want this."

"There might be not a lot we can do but we can do this," she added.

Sarah Jones, from Shrewsbury, said she wanted to stand up and show her support for the people in Ukraine and for Ukrainians living locally.

Shrewsbury's mayor, Councillor Julian Dean, said people of all political colours were present at the march.

"This is the biggest threat to European peace in my lifetime," he said. "And the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime."

He added that he also wanted to show support to Russian people living in Shrewsbury, because they do not want the invasion.

Councillor Dean also called on the UK Government to do more to put pressure on the Russian president by stopping "dragging its feet" over sanctions against Russian oligarchs.

Natalie Davies, from Shrewsbury, was there with her Shropshire loggerheads flag topped by a Ukrainian flag made by putting together two coloured pillowcases from Asda.

"I am here to show that the world is behind Ukraine," she said. "I wish there was more that we could do, there has got to be more that we could do."

She added that she was deeply impressed by the courage of the Ukrainians in the face of aggression, and by the leadership of the Ukrainian president.

For Maggie Randle, of Belle Vue, Shrewsbury, it was a case of also supporting brave Russians who are opposing the war.

A son of a friend of hers in Russia was planning to protest today. She had a message from his mother that says she was fearing that her 19-year-old would be killed or beaten up by their own police.

"We don't have that here... this is something we can do, to show solidarity with Russian people who don't want this," she added.

Councillor Dean told the assembled crowd in the Quarry, who chanted slogans including "We Stand With Ukraine" that Shrewsbury Town Council has put aside £25,000 to provide help. The Ukrainian flag was also flying at Shirehall, in a growing sense of solidarity.

To loud applause, Ukrainian Oksana Chapman said: "Thank you very much for supporting us - you have no idea how much it means to us.

"In Ukraine, they know that the world is supporting them and it gives them great strength."

A charity is also being launched with the aim of telling the local community how their generous donations are being spent.

Oksana Chapman can be contacted on helpukraineshrewsbury@gmail.com for people wanting to give support. They are looking especially for medical supplies, including first aid kits.