FAIRY DOORS made by children in Ballybeg Woods have been defaced with the Russian invasion symbol ‘Z’.
Horror has been expressed by walkers of Ballybeg Woods who noticed the ‘Z’ symbol which has been used as an intimidation tactic against those who oppose the war in Ukraine.
Open source analysts and military experts first spotted the mysterious Z-shaped letter hand-painted on Russian tanks and military trucks massed on the Ukrainian border on February 19th.
Z has gone from a military marking to the main symbol of public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Just three days after the invasion, the Kremlin-funded state network RT announced on its social media channels that it was selling Z merchandise, including T-shirts and hoodies, to show support for Russian troops.
Since then, countless flashmobs across the country have been organised by the authorities, in which young Russians are seen wearing a Z shirt while displaying their support for the war. The Z letter has also been painted on large Soviet-era apartment blocks and posted on street advertisement signs.
A number of schools have also posted images of children standing in a Z formation. One image to circulate online showed terminally ill children from a hospice in the southern city of Kazan forming a Z to support the invasion of Ukraine.
Outside of Russia, the symbol has not generated as much publicity. Thousands of Serbs waving Russian flags and carrying Z letters marched through Belgrade to the Russian embassy in a show of public support for Moscow, while Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak sported the Z insignia as he stood next to Ukraine’s Kovtun Illia, the gold medallist at a gymnastics World Cup event in Doha.
In Clare, walkers in Ballybeg Woods described the appearance of the symbol as “a disgrace” and “disgusting”.
Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) who is a resident of Ballybeg confirmed to The Clare Echo that will be tabling a motion similar to the matter at the next sitting of Clare County Council which will propose “legislation forthwith to criminalise the use of the ‘Z’ symbol as a way to publicly support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. ’Z’ means Russian war crimes, bombed out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians. Public support of this barbarism must be forbidden,” she stated.
