Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Boston Public Garden and marched to the State House Sunday afternoon to voice their support for Ukraine and their opposition to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his actions as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
It was the latest in a series of demonstrations across the city over the past week as the crisis in Ukraine has unfolded. And as the war escalates, some had suggestions for what can be done to help.
Danyl Levytskyi, 17, came to the protest from Salem. He came to the U.S. about a year and a half ago from Ukraine, where he lived in Kyiv.
The recent escalation of violence in his home country has been tough on him.
"I haven't been sleeping been very well in the past couple of months," he said. "It's just hard. Especially being a junior in high school and trying to catch up with school work and everything else, it's hard."
Still, seeing the show of support was encouraging. And he has suggestions for what Americans can do to help.
"The easiest thing that you can do is donate to Ukrainian military," he said. "I believe that's the most effective way to help [the] Ukrainian military and Ukrainian government because, even though we're receiving support from NATO and United States and other countries and European Union, it's still not enough."
What looks like at least a few hundred demonstrators are in the Boston Public Garden in support of Ukraine @GBHNews pic.twitter.com/sgjRLJHVF2
— Esteban Bustillos (@E_Bustillos4) February 27, 2022
Joe Luna married Levytskyi's mother, Nataliia, in October of 2018 and officially adopted Danyl last year. He said America needs to get the world behind it to stop Putin.
"And all the NATO countries need to come together, they have to determine some type of logistics to get supplies into the country, whether it's a no-fly zone," he said. "But the Ukrainian military does need help. And of course they're outgunned. But so was this country in 1776."
The call for a no-fly zone appeared to be echoed by protestors, who chanted "Close the sky," a repeat of calls from Ukrainian officials for NATO forces to take such measures, though it doesn't appear that Western countries will be willing to take such measures as it could escalate the conflict even further.
Locally, other organizations are figuring out how to help Ukraine and putting out calls for donations. St Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Jamaica Plain is acting as a drop point for medical items to be shipped to Ukraine. And Sunflower of Peace, a non-profit based in Belmont, is working to get medical supplies to Ukraine.
Andrii Ivanchuk rallied at Harvard on Saturday before coming to Sunday's rally, and he's sent videos and photos of the demonstrations to his family and friends back in Ukraine. He said even just the show of suppport from the United States has helped.
"They feel support," he said. "And they're grateful with that, actually. ... Of course, if you donate money, if you have any chance to send help, [that works]. Everything [works] now."
