Russia pavilion pulled from Surrey Fusion Festival after backlash
Jun 13, 2023 | News, Canada, Featured
A resident clears debris of a shop destroyed after a Russian shelling in Kherson on Monday, as the region deals with massive flooding from the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. PHOTO BY OLEKSII FILIPPOV /AFP/Getty Images
Joseph Ruttle – Vancouver Sun
Two groups representing Ukrainians in Canada had written an open letter saying they were ‘horrified' by Russia's inclusion during the war
A group planning to host a controversial pavilion celebrating Russian culture has pulled out of this year’s Surrey Fusion Festival.
The representatives told the City of Surrey, which will host the two-day event on July 22 and 23, that they would not be participating in 2023, as was the case in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
A pair of organizations representing Ukrainian Canadians had penned an open letter saying they were “horrified” by plans to include a Russia pavilion.
The Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group and the League of Ukrainian Canadians said they were particularly shocked that the festival website featured a photo of the Kremlin, the political seat of Vladimir Putin’s government.
“The festival attracts tens of thousands of people to Holland Park, and this year, that number will include Ukrainians who have been displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Ukrainian Canadians whose families have been directly impacted by the war,” read the open letter.
Read more: vancouversun.com
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