HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Ukrainian blue-and-yellow flags took over the ArtsPark at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, the third day of Vladimir Putin’s attack.
Hundreds met at the 10-acre circle’s outdoor theater for a rally in solidarity with the Ukrainians who feared for their lives as they fled from their homes or took up arms.
“My friends sleep in the subways in the mornings; when there are no attacks they actually go to work,” said Julia Lemesh, one of the organizers of the event.
Among the crowd were Ukrainian-American, Polish-American, and Russian-American residents of South Florida. As the war unfolds, some said they have been feeling powerless.
“We are simply defending ourselves we want the attacks to stop,” said Khrystyna Matchin, a Ukrainian American at the protest in Hollywood.
Lina Condes said she wanted her father to come to the United States to escape what was going in the Ukraine, but he refused.
“When I asked my father to come here a week ago. he said, ‘No we will take the guns and go and fight because this is our land,’” Condes said.
Large signs displayed messages such as “Stop Putin,” “Stand with Ukraine,” and “Save Ukraine.”
People in attendance said their loved ones are living in fear, concerned about a full-scale military takeover.
“We are asking for a no fly zone to be enforced,” Matchin said.
People also want to see tougher sanctions from the Biden administration, as well as more U.S. troops to step in to help.
Most of all, they want to see a peaceful resolution.
“We will never you know, give up,” Condes said. “And we will never let Russian regime to take over the country.”
In New York City, a large crowd of protesters filled Times Square in Manhattan to denounce the invasion. In Chicago, dozens met at an overpass to play the Ukrainian national anthem.
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