A “Stand with Ukraine” rally in Central London’s Trafalgar Square drew a large crowd on Saturday, March 5, to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A huge banner was unfurled in front of the National Gallery which warned Britain: “When the last Ukrainian soldier falls, Putin will come for you ladies and gents,” reported the Daily Mail. Another banner that had the appearance of being soaked in blood read ‘Stop Putin’, while others protesters held signs comparing the Russian president to Adolf Hitler and branding him a “monster”.

The Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, attended the rally and spoke to the crowd of Pope Francis’ closeness to, and prayers for, the suffering of the war in Ukraine.

“I bring to all Ukrainians present the solidarity and closeness of Pope Francis. In these days his heart and his prayers are in your beloved homeland. The blood of your loved ones cries out, like Abel’s, towards heaven.”

Addressing the estimated 2,000-strong crowd, Archbishop Gugerotti assured them that many prayers were being said for a conversion of heart of those who want war:

“Today we are all Ukrainians, all in solidarity with you! We pray to God to convert the hearts of those who want war. Where is the reason, where is the heart, where is faith, where is progress? God says: ‘I do not want your prayers when you kill.’ Because the living man is the glory of God. We want love, not war. Holy Mother of God, save us”.

Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Eparchial bishop for Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Slovak Eastern Catholics in the UK accompanied the Nuncio alongside Archbishop Bernard Longley, the Archbishop of Birmingham, and Monsignor Keith Newton from the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

You can look through a gallery of images from the Trafalgar Square rally on our Flickr Photostream of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.