A convoy of vehicles sporting Russian flags and pro-Russian symbols has been spotted in Ireland.
Footage shows a long line of cars driving down the M50 in Dublin, Ireland’s busiest motorway, with flags draped from their roofs and the symbol ‘Z’ marked on their windows.
A further clip shows the cars lined up in a more residential area, with a number of individuals grouping together seemingly in support for Putin and his brutal regime.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Dublin condemned the controversial protest on Twitter, writing: “It’s absolutely disgusting that these Russians living in Ireland demonstrate their complete disrespect for their country of residence the Irish people who stand against Russia's war in Ukraine.
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“Russia's 'Z', the symbol of killings & atrocities, must be prohibited by law in every democratic state.”
The letter ‘Z’ has swiftly become synonymous with support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The symbol has been marked on Russian military vehicles since Putin sent his troops across the border on 24 February, and it has now become a figure of Kremlin propaganda.
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Dr Grigory Yudin, a senior researcher in the Laboratory for Studies in Economic Sociology at the Higher School of Economics, provided his expert opinion on what the ‘Z’ symbol really means,
In an interview with Russian figure skater Ekaterina 'Katia' Alexandrovna Gordeeva, Dr Yudin described the 'Z' symbols as 'half swastikas'.
He said: "They are half-swastikas. The people who are in charge of spreading this across the country know what these are. They clearly know what they are.
"There is not a percent of chance that this is a coincidence.
"When several months ago an acquaintance of mine with contacts among the authorities told me there are a lot of Hitler’s fans up there [around Putin], I didn’t believe it. Now I do.”
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As the pro-Russian symbol has become more widespread, Ukraine asked that countries ban the use of the letter ‘Z’ in order to cement their support with the Ukrainian people.
In a statement made on 29 March, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba asked countries to 'criminalise' use of the symbol to show support for Ukraine.
The foreign minister wrote on Twitter: "I call on all states to criminalize the use of the ‘Z’ symbol as a way to publicly support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
"’Z’ means Russian war crimes, bombed out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians. Public support of this barbarism must be forbidden", he continued.
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If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Ireland, World News, News
