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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

ANTI-WAR
PROTESTS IN
RUSSIA AND THE
WORLD
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1 Warm up

First, read the following statements about Ukraine and decide if they are True (T) or False (F). Use a
reference if needed.

1. Russia is the second-largest country in the world.

2. The current population of Russia is over 143, 000, 000 people.

3. Ukraine is the third-largest country in Europe.

4. The colours of the Ukrainian flag are blue and yellow.

5. Ukraine shares a border with 8 other countries.

6. The capital of Ukraine is Minsk.

7. Ukrainians drive on the left side of the road.

Now, work in pairs and discuss the following:

• What do you think about when you hear the word "protests"?
• Is it good or bad to protest?
• How should police deal with protestors?
• Is a protest better online or on the streets?

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ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN RUSSIA AND THE WORLD

2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions

1. document (v) a. a department in the government that is responsible for a

particular area
2. detention (n) b. officially record an event by writing about it, filming or
photographing it
3. baton (n) c. take someone somewhere, either with force or for protection

4. escort (v) d. a stick used by police officers to attack and defend themselves

5. ministry (n) e. the situation where someone is kept somewhere and are unable
to leave for official reasons
6. bulletin (n) f. the main political party that is against the political party in
power
7. opposition (n) g. a brief news report on the TV or radio

8. nerve agent (n) h. a poison which is used as a chemical weapon

Part B: Now put the vocabulary from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences. You may
need to change the form of the word.

1. After only around five minutes, the protesters were from the building to allow the
meeting to continue.

2. The Prime Minister defended himself against claims from the leader of the that
his party’s policies had worsened the economy.

3. I can’t believe we’re going to war. I’ve been listening to news all day to keep
up-to-date with the situation.

4. Police left the crime scene after several hours, having carefully all the evidence.

5. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, experts say that a was
used, leading to claims that a terrorist organisation was behind it.

6. Increased spending by the of Defense has caused concern that taxes will rise
sharply in coming months.

7. Widespread protests across the country led to the of hundreds of people over
the weekend, a move which has only increased anger among the public.

8. Demonstrators reacted by throwing rocks and bottles as police moved in with their
at the ready.

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you regularly listen to bulletins? Why/why not

2. Has there ever been a detention of a large number of people in your country? Why? What
happened?
3. Who is the main opposition to the government in your country? What is your opinion of them?
4. Have you ever escorted someone somewhere or been escorted from anywhere? Why? What
happened?

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3 Listening for details

Listen to the news report and match the numbers to their meanings.
1,061 1,700 3,500 4,366 5,200 56 750

a. The number of people arrested across Russia according to independent

sources.
b. The number of cities in Russia where protests took place.

c. The number of people arrested according to the Russian government.

d. The number of people arrested in Moscow according to the Russian

government.
e. The number of people arrested in St. Petersburg according to the
government.
f. The number of people who protested in other cities according to the
government.
g. The number of people who protested in Russia according to the government.

4 Listening comprehension
Listen again and decide which of the following information was Given (G) or Not Given (NG).

1. What people were protesting against

2. Information about what Presidents from other countries said about the invasion.

3. Evidence of violence by police against protesters.

4. The age group of some of the protesters.

5. An opinion on whether the figures given by the independent monitoring group or the Russian
government are more reliable.

6. The importance given to the protests by the Russian media.

7. An incident which also caused large protests in Russia.

8. Whether there are any protests in Ukraine or not.

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ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN RUSSIA AND THE WORLD

5 Scanning for details

Quickly read the article on page five about the crisis in Ukraine and the world reactions, and note
down what the following numbers mean.

a. 50

b. 13,000

c. 170

d. 80,000

e. 39

f. 47

g. 3

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The Ukraine crisis

The world reacts

A. On the 24th February, 2022, forces acting on the orders of Russian President, Vladimir Putin began an invasion
of Ukraine after over a year of a military build-up during increasing tensions in the region. As news of the crisis
broke globally, protests erupted in cities internationally. In a world still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19
pandemic, the prospect of a conflict taking yet more lives is deeply unpopular. Key amongst those protesting in
solidarity with Ukraine were Russians in around 50 cities across the nation protesting at great personal risk in
a country where demonstrations against the President are banned. Independent organisations report that over
13,000 Russians have been arrested as a result. Russia’s key supporter in the region is Belarus, with President
Alexander Lukashenko announcing that he ‘did not want a war’ but warning other countries against military action
against his nation and Russia. Still, there were protests against the war in Belarus, with over 170 people arrested
and large numbers of flowers left by citizens outside the Ukrainian embassy in a silent message of support.

B. In Berlin, Germany, tens of thousands of protesters gathered with police creating space for more. Signs with
messages such as, ‘Putin, go to therapy and leave Ukraine and the world in peace,’ and ‘Hands off Ukraine’ were
seen demonstrating the strong anti-war and anti-Putin sentiments of the crowd. In Prague, where some still
remember Russian tanks arriving only 50 years ago, over 80,000 protesters filled the streets to wave Ukrainian
flags and voice their feelings against the invasion and Putin. Signs accusing him of being a war criminal were
seen in what is one of the largest demonstrations in the Czech Republic’s history. Protests were also seen in the
European cities of Warsaw, Madrid, Bordeaux, Amsterdam, Geneva and Vienna, among others.

C. North America has also seen protests in major cities including New York, Vancouver, Mexico City and Washington
DC. US President Biden has strongly opposed the military action and war and has seen an increase in support from
Americans for his handling of the situation. His approval rating has increased from 39% to 47% as Americans put
aside recent internal differences to stand against conflict.

D. Asia has also seen demonstrations in key cities across the continent such as Seoul, Taipei and Bangkok. Both
Japan and South Korea have introduced sanctions against Russia aimed at weakening its economy. Indonesian
President Joko Widodo called for peace and asked for both Western and Russian forces to de-escalate and avoid
war. People in Latin American countries were also out in force in various cities, such as Buenos Aires and Sao
Paulo in Brazil, and Santiago in Chile. Argentina’s president, Mr. Alberto Fernandez, announced his opposition to
military force and asked for the dispute to be resolved diplomatically. Meanwhile, both Australia and New Zealand
have told their citizens in Ukraine to evacuate and called for sanctions against Russia. In contrast, the leadership
of three countries in addition to Belarus: North Korea, Nicaragua and Cuba, have all expressed support for Putin,
laying responsibility for the conflict at the feet of Western leaders and NATO.

E. Whatever the political disagreements, the fact remains that ordinary people, Ukrainians in particular, are suffering
for the disagreements of leaders. While the situation is undoubtedly horrific, it is heartening to see so many people
around the world standing in opposition to needless casualties and looking for peace.

Sources: Aljazeera, Independent, BBC, News Statesman

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6 Scanning for vocabulary (optional task)

Quickly scan the article on page five and find vocabulary which means the same as the following.

1. a show of support for a person or people as they share the same goals (n,
para. A)
2. official limits by one country on trade or contact with another country with
the aim of making them stop a particular behaviour (n, para. D)
3. reduce the conflict between two or more countries by finding a peaceful
agreement (v, para. D)
4. a disagreement between two or more people or countries (n, para. D)

5. giving a hopeful feeling (adj., para. E)

6. people who are killed or injured in a war or in an accident (n, para. E)

7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again and decide if the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).

1. In Russia, it is not illegal to protest against the president.

2. There are a number of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

3. Nuclear war is currently a serious possibility.

4. There is a lot of support for the invasion of Ukraine by Belarusians.

5. The protests against the war in Belarus were all noisy and violent.

6. The Czech Republic was also invaded by Russia less than 100 years ago.

7. No Asian country has decided to introduce sanctions against Russia.

8. There were massive demonstrations in Argentina against the invasion.

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ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN RUSSIA AND THE WORLD

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What is your reaction to the situation in Ukraine? Do you think Russia is invading or peace-
keeping? Why?
2. Why do you think the numbers of arrests given by the Russian government and independent
groups are different? Who do you believe? Why?
3. Do you think demonstrating against a political event is a useful thing to do? Why/why not?
4. Have you ever taken part in a demonstration? Why/why not? If you haven’t, would you consider
doing so in the right situation? Why/ why not?
5. What do you think the writer of the article about the Ukraine crisis thinks about the situation?
Why?

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