Shockwaves and disbelief: Bay Area protests Russian invasion of Ukraine
Protest in solidarity with Ukraine against Russian invasion. San Francisco City Hall/Civic Center Plaza. February 24, 2022. (Photo courtesy SF Supervisor Matt Haney's Twitter account)
SAN FRANCISCO - From Russia to the U.S., people are protesting Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. Several demonstrations took place in the Bay Area Thursday.
Two men from Ukraine stood in protest in front of what used to be the Russian consulate on Green Street in San Francisco.
"I just want to do something, somehow to help my country," said Maksym Zukov a protester.
Each of them has relatives in Ukraine and they are concerned.
"I have three uncles there and I'm trying to kind of do my part as much I can to pressure the governments to take action there and prevent as much suffering as possible," said Ruslan Kurdyumov.
At the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco, the consul general says calls are coming in. People are asking what they can do.
"Especially how they can help. They want to help or send money to support armed forces, to support the medical services. They wanna help. They don't want to stay aside," said Ukranian Consul General Dmytro Kushmeruk.
He suggested people who want to help or want more information to check the Consulate General of Ukraine's social media pages for ways to send money.
He added that despite the threats of a Putin invasion, that it's still shocking to Ukranians that it still happened.
"Emotionally and psychologically we cannot believe that Putin really decided to do it. He chose, not a small scenario, but the worst-case scenario, full-scale invasion like World War II," Kushmeruk said.
He said many Ukranians living in cities are hiding in bomb shelters and communication is spotty.
"Everyone has to stay courageous because Ukraine will stay strong," Kushmeruk.
For the hundreds who rallied in San Francisco, the demonstration included impassioned speeches calling for the world to help Ukraine.
Palpable anger, sadness and fear gripped the crowd.
Valentina Hohl, a Ukranian American living in Brentwood, attended to give and receive support. "I talked to my family in Ukraine and they're very scared. I have family all over Ukraine and everybody says they hear explosions. They hear planes. They see tanks. They're being attacked."
The rally was largely attended by people from the Bay Area Ukranian community, but others joined in solidarity, including those from the local Russian community.
Many carried the flag of Ukraine or sported the flag's blue and yellow in other ways, including face paint.
Some warned the attack isn't really just on Ukraine. "It's a really dark day for Ukraine, but the whole free, democratic world," said Nataliya Anon, one of the organizers of the rally.
Many stay in contact with their loved ones back in Ukraine through phone and social media, but are concerned about the future. Boris Dus of Napa said he's heard from people in Ukraine who are riding out the attack at home and do not know what is next.
The organizers at the rally are calling for additional sanctions by the U.S. and an increase of military weapons to protect Ukraine from being further invaded and attacked by Russia. They also want more humanitarian aid.
"This is against international law. This is not something that anyone would expect to happen in the 21st century," said Ostap Korkuna, an organizer of the rally.
Hohl said she was sending prayers as she apologized for being emotional. "It's very, very heartbreaking."
Organizers urged people to contact lawmakers and President Joe Biden to support Ukraine.
Andy Kurtzig, the head of JustAnswer, a San Francisco-based company that allows people to connect online with experts in most fields, said he was incredibly concerned and called what's happening with Russia, a "travesty."
The company has 252 employees in Ukraine. Two of them have already been drafted into the military to fight on behalf of Ukraine.
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He said his company is helping employees move to western Ukraine, which is closer to NATO ally territory and safer. His company is also supplying communication systems and money.
He said one employee moved her bedroom from the second floor to the first. "They've taken their bathroom and they've put as much shielding against the windows and the walls, so they can run in the bathroom if they feel worried about getting bombed," Kurtzig said.
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