Locals in a small Italian town want a statue of Vladimir Putin pulled down because of the horrific war in Ukraine.
The marble statue of the Russian President was erected in a park in the town of Vagli di Sotto in Lucca, Tuscany, in 2019.
It is part of a group of monuments to prominent people in our century which form a pathway of ‘honour’ and ‘dishonour’ without explicitly saying who represents what.
The group also includes a statue of Donald Trump.
But now, some residents and local mayor Bruno Murzi are calling for Putin’s statue to be pulled down ‘immediately’.
Mr Murzi said he never supported ‘wasting’ taxpayer money on the statues in the first place but said it needs to be addressed ‘now more than ever’.
He told locals: ‘We cannot bear to have a monument on the municipal territory to the one who is waging a war in order to “annex” a country with the own independence, because that’s what it is.
‘It would be a bit like Germany wanted to annex Italy because she was part of it in times of war.’
Mr Murzi went on to speak about how Italy had already joined other western nations in condemning Russia and sanctioning the nation.
He argued it was important to ‘show closeness’ to the people of Ukraine with ‘condemning certain gestures’.
Multiple high-profile companies – such as Spotify, Starbucks, Coca Cola and Pepsi – have pulled out of Russia in the wake of the devastation the Kremlin had wreaked on Ukraine.
Other acts of solidarity have included a ban on Russian vodkas, blocking Russian state media from the internet and of course each Nato member’s harsh economic sanctions.
Thousands marched through London on Saturday in support of Ukraine.
They started at Hyde Park and made their way to Trafalgar Square while wearing Ukraine’s flag colours – blue and yellow.
They chanted ‘stand with Ukraine’ and ‘stop the war’, with roads being closed off and traffic stopped.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, speaking from a military bunker, told the crowd on a big screen near Nelson’s Column: ‘We defend right now the same principles. Please keep together with our country, keep together with Ukraine.’
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan also attended the march, saying he was there to condemn Russia’s ‘barbaric aggression’.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't shown any signs of calling off the attack anytime soon, with his spokesperson claiming that he is refusing to rule out using nuclear weapons.
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