Standing in Piccadilly Gardens holding a 'Stop Putin, Stop War' sign has become a normal Saturday for Martyn Chymera.
It didn't used to be - a year ago today, Martyn was perhaps more likely to be spotted among the throngs of shoppers crowding into the city centre than organising a rally. But his life - along with millions of Ukranians and their relatives lives - changed last February when Russian troops invaded Ukraine, resulting in a bloody war that rages on.
Since then, Martyn has spent every Saturday in Piccadilly Gardens showing his support for Ukraine. Today, on his 51st rally, he said that Ukrainians still need our support as much as ever.
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"We said in the beginning that this should never become normal," Martyn told the Manchester Evening News. "We never expected it would go on this long.
"We're here because people need to keep Ukraine in their minds. We must not appease Putin, and we still need your help."
It's a small gathering, but a mighty one. Person after person took to the stage to sing traditional Ukranian music and read statements of support, many with the country's blue and yellow flag draped over their shoulders.
"Glory to Ukraine!," one shouts, and is met with a cry of "Glory to the heroes!" from the crowd.
Marianna Vaszilyiv is another one of the rally's organisers. Originally from Ukraine herself, she told the M.E.N. her parents and many of her friends are still living there.
"My parents are in Western Ukraine. They don't want to leave," she explained. "They were here for a while, but still they say this is our homeland and we have to be there.
"I worry about the whole scale of disaster that is happening there. But we are trying to be strong."
Marianna said she is 'proud' to be Ukrainian, but that watching events unfold in her homeland over the last year has been 'terrible'. She told the M.E.N. that the year anniversary of the Russian invasion was 'important' as 'the anniversary of our bravery'.
"We will fight - we won't surrender," she said. "We feel the support of the British people and the country in general. And we do appreciate every single part."
The crowd is made up of both those who have immediate connections to Ukraine and those who don't. Martyn said the support from the British public over the last year has been 'fantastic', but explained that work is still ongoing to raise money for things like generators and even sleeping bags for those still in Ukraine.
Natalia and her daughter Nicole are part of the crowd. Natalia's parents are still in Ukraine, and she said she has been to visit them three times over the duration of the war - even experiencing the shock of the bombs falling near their home herself.
"It's very scary," she said. "Even this week they are still being bombed. The shockwaves are so strong it blew open their garage door."
The pair said they were out to show their support to those fighting in Ukraine, and keep raising awareness of the war, one year on.
"We just hope for the continued support of the West," she said. "We don't have as many men as Russia. We can only hope to win the war before we run out of men."
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