Thousands of people demonstrated for the second day in a row in several European cities to condemn Russia's war on Ukraine, while an independent organization that monitors protests in Russia announced that the Russian police arrested thousands of protesters across the country on Sunday.

In Brussels, the Belgian police said that about 5,000 people took to the streets, waving Ukrainian flags, and the demonstrators chanted “Russians, go home,” and raised banners reading “Stop the war” and “Europe, be brave and act now.” Some demonstrators carried Yellow roses with blue ribbons.

In Toulouse (southwest of France) - the twin city of the Ukrainian capital Kiev - the demonstrators marched behind a large blue and yellow banner, carrying drawings of Russian President Vladimir Putin showing him covered in blood, calling for "an end to the criminal Putin."

In a move they wanted to denote Ukraine's airspace, the demonstrators raised a huge piece of blue cloth, calling for "the closure of the country's airspace" and "the protection of Ukraine's airspace."

About 5,000 people gathered in support of Ukraine in northern France in front of the Caen Memorial for the Allied landings in Normandy in 1944. The Ukrainian flag was raised, and several participants wore blue and yellow, and one of the banners read, "People of Ukraine, we will not abandon you! Democracy, freedom, peace." .

The Italian capital, Rome, witnessed demonstrations opposing the war on Ukraine, in which the demonstrators raised banners calling for an end to the war.

Demonstrations were also held in Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities to demand an end to the Russian war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian flags were raised in Catalonia Square in Barcelona, ​​where about 800 people gathered - according to the authorities - holding banners that read: "Close the skies, not your eyes," "NATO, protect the skies of Ukraine" and "Stop Putin, stop the war."

In Belgrade, hundreds of people gathered to express their support for Ukraine, two days after a demonstration in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian attack on Ukrainian soil.

Hundreds of people also gathered on Sunday to express their support for Ukraine in Skopje (the capital of North Macedonia).

On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of several cities - including Paris, New York, Rome and Zurich - to demand an "end" to the war and to protest the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Protests in Russia

In Russia, OVD-Info (an independent organization that monitors protests) said that the Russian police arrested more than 4,300 people in anti-war demonstrations in 56 cities across the country on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Thousands of protesters chanted "No to war" and "Shame on you," according to video clips posted on social media by opposition activists and bloggers, according to Reuters.

Dozens of protesters in Yekaterinburg (located in the Urals) were seen under arrest, and security forces were seen hitting a protester on the ground.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage and photos on social media.

But the Russian Interior Ministry announced earlier that the police had arrested about 3,500, including 1,700 in Moscow, 750 in St. Petersburg, and 1,061 in other cities.

The ministry added that 5,200 took part in the protests.