On Saturday, hundreds gathered for a "Stand with Ukraine" protest in West Los Angeles in front of the office of California Senator Dianne Feinstein. The demonstration grew rapidly and is part of a growing trend of pro-Ukraine rallies seen across the U.S. and the world. It didn’t take long for the entire area to be flooding with yellow and blue flags to honor Ukraine. The anti-war, pro-Ukraine activists took all four corners of the intersection in front of Senator Feinstein's office. As activists cheered for Ukraine, cell phones showed updates about how Putin and Russia had already perpetrated war crimes against Ukraine. Among the flags and signs were also display of solidarity from other nations. One protester told me he was from Belarus and that he did not support what his government was doing. He said he was confident dictators like Putin and Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko will soon fall.
Protesters chanted, "save Ukraine" and "stop the war" and spoke out against Russia and Putin's invasion. Handmade posters condemning Putin and expressing solidarity with Ukraine could be seen everywhere. There were a lot of Hitler/Putin comparisons. Many people here say they have loved ones still in Ukraine and that they are deeply concerned for their safety. I spoke with one protester who was worried about his family. He told me that his brother and cousins were in the military, fighting against Russian forces.
Organizers listed three primary demands:
1. Immediately provide military aid to Ukraine, especially the air defense systems and the heavy weaponry, as well as financial and humanitarian aid.
2. Enact Hellish Sanctions on Russia right now, including cutting Russia off from SWIFT. Tomorrow may be too late.
3. Isolate Russia in all possible formats on the world stage.
A lot of activists also spoke about the desire to create a no-fly-zone over Ukraine. Critics of this tactic say that it could be seen by Russia as an act of war by any NATO country who enforced it. As tensions continue to heat up in Ukraine, support for the country and their resistance against the illegal war of aggression by Russia is wide-spread.