Report by Mr. Filip Deheegher, the City of Ypres, Belgium
Immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the City of Ypres together with the Platform “Westhoek Vredeshoek” organized silence circles in the Westhoek municipalities. This region suffered fiercely during WWI. People came together in 16 municipalities on a certain moment and stood in silent protest together for an hour.
Following these actions, from May 2022 the City of Ypres set up a weekly musical protest against the war on every Thursday at 6 PM.
On the 24th of February, one year after the start of the war, Ypres organised a musical protest action together with refugees from Ukraine who live in Ypres now. After people from Ypres and the people from Ukraine played music one after the other, all the participants sang together and observed 10 minutes of silence to conclude the action.
What followed was an informal meeting between the participants. The people from Ypres and the new Ypres residents from Ukraine became acquainted with one another. Children made paintings, and mothers made friendship bracelets in the Ukrainian colours and baked traditional cake and pastries.
Photos: courtesy of the City of Ypres