City of Ottawa denied ‘outrageous’ request to fly Russian flag
The Russian Embassy in Ottawa requested town to fly the Russian flag and illuminate a wing of Metropolis Corridor in pink, white and blue to mark Russia Day on Sunday, however the metropolis refused.
Based on an announcement from Arnold McLean, town’s chief of protocol, his workplace obtained the request from the Embassy of the Russian Federation on Feb. 23, the day earlier than Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
The embassy requested town to “increase their flag, and to light up the Heritage Constructing in recognition of Russia Day on June 12, 2022,” in keeping with the assertion.
Russia Day commemorates the creation of the Russian Federation on June 12, 1990. The nationwide vacation was first noticed in 1992.
Request stunned mayor
On Feb. 24, because of the invasion, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson ordered the flag of Ukraine be flown at Metropolis Corridor “for an indefinite time frame,” and urged the mayors of different G7 capitals to do the identical.
Watson additionally directed the protocol workplace to say no the request from the Russian Embassy.
It merely reveals the character of the Russian state.– Borys Gengalo, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Ottawa
“[It’s] outrageous that they’d even contemplate asking for it, and I informed them on no account will we increase your flag till you are out of Ukraine, and now we have the Ukrainian flag that’s nonetheless flying and can stay flying on our plaza till the Russians depart the nation,” Watson mentioned Friday.
“I used to be stunned that they got here and requested for it,” he mentioned. “You’ll assume that they’d put two and two collectively that we’re not going to fly their flag on our property.”
In early March, Watson joined Andrii Bukvych, chargé d’affaires on the Ukrainian Embassy in Ottawa, to put in blue and yellow indicators studying “Free-Libre Ukraine” on Charlotte Street, straight throughout from the Russian Embassy.
On the time, Watson referred to as the gesture “a small image of defiance.”
‘They do not care about public opinion’
Based on Ottawa’s official policy on flag-raising, town “will fly the flag of any nation on its nationwide day with whom Canada has diplomatic relations.”
Nonetheless, the metropolis “won’t fly the flag of a bunch or group whose undertakings or philosophy are opposite to Metropolis of Ottawa insurance policies or bylaws, espouse hatred, violence, or racism, or are politically or religiously motivated or signify different particular person conviction.”
Borys Gengalo, president of the Ottawa chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, mentioned the truth that the Russian Embassy would make such a request on the eve of a brutal navy invasion of a sovereign neighbour says so much about their mentality.
“It merely reveals the character of the Russian state. They’re daring, they’re brassy, they do not care about public opinion. They demand that issues be performed for them,” he mentioned.
“The very invasion of Ukraine is a pattern of their mentality, and it is mirrored in what the Russian Embassy does right here.”
Makes an attempt on Friday to achieve the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ottawa had been unsuccessful.
