Demonstrators gathered in the heart of New York on Saturday and held a rally in support of Russia and the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, in light of the mounting Western aggressions against the three even before the start of the war in Ukraine.

Under the banner of anti-fascism and anti-US imperialism, the demonstrators chanted for Russia and its actions and decision to counter Nazism in Ukraine and stand up to NATO's eastward expansion.

"Close NATO", "No war on Russia and Donbass," and "Stop the terror of neo-Nazis in Ukraine" were among the banners held during the protest, with participants stressing the need to dissolve the Western alliance.

"No war for oil or profits, hands-off Russia," one demonstrator chanted, calling on his country to stop financing wars and instead help its own citizens with housing and healthcare.

"I am here to stand against fascism and Ukraine and the USA all around the world," another demonstrator stressed, accusing the Kiev regime of trying to "fight to the last Ukrainian, and they do not care for the health or wellbeing of the Ukrainian people.

Another demonstrator outlined the West's spreading of disinformation against Russia and around Ukraine, saying the American people were "being bombarded with lies and misinformation and lack of context of what is happening in Ukraine right now."

He also went on to underline the fact that the Western media was leaving their people in the dark regarding Ukraine's war against the people of Donbass for the past eight years, which it had been waging using US and NATO weapons. He also highlighted that Russia had been asked to intervene by the people of Donbass to "help stop the war, not start a new war."

"After pushing Ukraine to invade Donbass again, the [US] is trying to portray Russia as the aggressor and hitting the country with sanctions [and] threatening a world war with the buildup of NATO forces. We are out here today to say no to that," he concluded.

The US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.