Rally held in Stamford in support of Ukraine and to denounce Russian aggression
STAMFORD, Conn. -- Immigrants from Ukraine have had a presence in Connecticut for more than 100 years. On Tuesday, a rally was held in one city to show that it stands with the war-torn Eastern European nation.
There was a significant turnout at the Stamford Government Center, where Mayor Caroline Simmons invited people to show support for Ukraine. Those who showed up waved flags and held signs. The city has has schools, churches, and businesses with ties to Ukraine.
There is immense pain that a people who want to live in peace now face the terrors of war, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
Just down the street from the Ukrainian Heritage Museum and the city's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, you'll find Bukovina Ukrainian and Russian Deli. But as Aiello saw, there was tape on the sign, covering up the words "and Russian."
"I cannot tell that I hate Russian people. I cannot tell this. But I hate Russian government and Russian president," the deli's Yulia Petryshak said.
Petryshak's family is in western Ukraine. Five days ago, a message was sent from her father that sent a chill to her heart.
"He just texted me and said, 'Yulia, the war has started.' I will never forget it," Petryshak said.
Her brother sent her a video, showing him sheltering in the basement with their parents.
"My heart is so broken right now," Petryshak said.
When President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, Ukrainians in America want to hear a strong message of determination to push back on the wave of Russian aggression.
"It's like a tsunami, painful, and I just dream that all that will pass like a bad dream and it will be okay," immigrant Barbara Viler said.
At the deli, Ukrainian news plays on the television, while immigrants grab products that provide a taste of home. Many are putting donations for the war effort into a box painted in the national colors of blue and yellow.
"Ukrainian army, Ukrainian soldiers, they are doing unbelievable things, and I'm so proud of it. Like never before, I'm proud that I'm Ukrainian," Petryshak said.
