Hundreds of people gathered in a protest in Belgrade on Saturday, carrying a banner that reads 'Peace to Ukraine, Freedom to Russia'. The gathering was organised by the Russian Democratic Society.

After the opening speech in the Republic Square, the crowd started a protest walk towards the Russian Embassy, but the police did not allow them to approach the building. Several hundreds of protest participants then decided to turn around and go to the Slavija Square.

According to N1 reporter, those who gathered in front of the police officers, who did not allow them to approach the Russian Embassy building, shouted – ‘Putin to The Hague’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Navalny’.

During the address in the Republic Square, the protest participants pointed out that ten months ago started a war that did not have to start and that the dictator wanted to win it in three days.

“That war destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions of people to migrate,” the organisers stressed.

They also noted that tens of thousands of peaceful citizens of Ukraine died, and it is not possible to know exactly how many because people were buried in pits. Among them, they claim, are at least 419 children.

According to the data presented by the protest organisers, 10,300 people are in hospitals after shelling, and the number of dead Ukrainian soldiers is unknown.

They also stated that more than 90 thousand Russian soldiers died on the territory of Ukraine and that the average age of the dead is 29. They also claim that 29 thousand Russians were arrested for protesting against the war, and that 6,350 criminal proceedings were initiated because of Russian anti-war statements.

It was also said that people from a quarter of Ukraine was forced to leave their homes, that more than a million of the most educated Russians left the country due to fear of recruitment.

“We will not ask why all this because no one has an answer to that question. We are here to remind you that this criminal war is still going on and that the lives of millions of people are at risk. We are here to support each other and we are here to show the citizens of Serbia that Russia is not Putin but us. And to express the hope that the year 2023 will be without war,” said the organisers.

“You will not be able to convince everyone that the Russians support the war, people cannot be on the side of the bloody murderers,” said the protest participants, adding that every Russian patriot currently wants one thing – the withdrawal and peace.

‘Russia, be free’, the crowd shouted.