Empty strollers placed in San Francisco park for Ukranian children killed
SAN FRANCISCO - Rally goers, protesting the invasion of Ukraine, re-created the chilling scene of more than 100 empty strollers in San Francisco's Chrissy Field on Sunday. On March 18th, 109 empty strollers were placed in the central square of the Ukranian city Lviv, to represent the number of children killed during the invasion by Russian troops.
"It's impactful to see empty strollers who will never be filled," Lydia Stoykovych, of the Ukranian American Coordinating Council. "You never want it to be your children. You sympathize with the mothers who are living underground, who aren’t able to live normal lives with their kids, and it’s heartbreaking. You hold back tears."
"Russia is not going to win this war. It’s very clear. But they’re just trying to exact more pain and suffering," said Igor Markov, event organizer, Nova Ukraine.
Sunday's event drew hundreds of people, including many from San Francisco's Ukrainian American community, who continued to ask for tougher sanctions on Russia and for more military help from the West.
"Every time it gets mentioned that children are dying, it makes me cry," said Katherine Brannon, San Francisco, who helped her mother, Nadia, send 10 boxes of medical supplies to Ukraine this week. While delivering the news to a surgeon on the ground, they say the call signal was briefly disrupted as bombs fell nearby.
"Stuff like that is just absolutely breaking your heart, said Nadia Brannon." And simply seeing those strollers, as a mom, there are no words."
Nearby stood another rally goer from Ukraine, Roman, who brought his toddler in a show of solidarity. Roman said he just returned from Poland after helping his mother escape from Ukraine.
"I get my mom here, but I still have sister there. A lot of my wife’s family there," said Roman. Much of his family is in western Ukraine, which so far has been spared the worst of the attacks by Russian troops.
"Right now, relatively safe, but it’s hard to define safe right now," added Roman, in a nod to the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets by Russian troops.