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Protesters target Russian government building in Highgate
Outside of the Office of the Trade Representative. - Credit: Supplied
Protesters gathered outside a Russian diplomatic building in Highgate on the weekend to take a stand against the invasion of Ukraine.
During a weekend of anti-war protests across the capital, a small group of people gathered outside the metal gates of 33 Highgate West Hill on Saturday (February 26). They held signs that read "no war", "stop Hitler" and "stop Putin".
This building is the Office of the Trade Representative of Russia, which represents the economic interests of Russia in the UK, and according to the protesters, is also home to Russia's military attaché.
Protesters on Highgate West Hill. - Credit: Supplied
Protesters spread out across both sides of the road so their signs could be visible to passing cars.
A sign saying: "This is the house of the Military Attaché of Russia stop Putin" stood in the middle of the road.
A Hampstead resident was walking down the hill with his family when he saw the protest and joined in.
"There were three Ukrainian people, maybe more, who came to demonstrate on their way to the main demonstration in Downing Street," he said.
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"It was an impromptu demonstration by those people. And they were joined by other locals to express mutual disgust and outrage.
"I was walking by but we felt the need to give support to the understandable outrage that Ukraine and most of the free world feels about the outrageous invasion orchestrated by Putin. It's not really a Russian invasion; it's a Putin invasion."
Maxim Elovik is the Military Attaché for Russia. - Credit: Supplied
Police arrived but respected the protesters. According to the Hampstead resident, they asked the demonstrators not to block the entrance to the building but "completely understood the situation".
A protester waves the Ukrainian flag outside of Russia's Office of the Trade Representative in Highate. - Credit: Supplied
Residents from all over north London attended anti-war protests across London.
Hundreds gathered outside the embassy in Kensington and at Downing Street on Saturday afternoon to call for Vladimir Putin to withdraw from Ukraine. - Credit: Linda Grove
Just one day earlier hundreds descended on the embassy chanting, waving flags and drawing chalk on its walls. Fake blood, paint and eggs were also thrown at the building.
The embassy’s walls were covered in chalk-written messages, Ukrainian flags, eggs and fake blood. - Credit: Linda Grove
Writing in the Ham&High, Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West said: "With his actions in the past week, Putin has shown he has no regard for international law or human decency, and he has openly claimed that Ukraine has no claim to be a sovereign nation while chillingly speaking of the planned 'denazification' of a state governed by an elected Jewish president."
She said it is time to tackle the "stain of dirty money in our city".
