Thousands of people marched in central Tokyo on Saturday to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The rally was organized by the civic group Stand With Ukraine Japan.

Many Protesters wore blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. They held placards that read "Stop war," and "Peace for Ukraine."

One of the organizers was Sasha Kaverina. Her home town is Kharkiv whose residents have been hammered by fierce bombardments.

"If we stay silent, Ukrainians will die, Ukraine will just disappear from the world's map" she told NHK. Kaverina says she is determined to keep fighting from Tokyo, like Ukrainians are doing around the world.

Many people including Japanese and Russians also spoke out at the rally. They said they don't want be bystanders.

A Japanese woman said, "I can't imagine this happening to my son or family." She says she can't do much alone, but she believes if people come together they can do something.