NORFOLK, Va. — After a week of escalating violence, Ukrainian Americans from Hampton Roads gathered at Town Point Park in Downtown Norfolk to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s not a problem, it’s a disaster," Alex Humen told 13News Now.
Dozens, close-to and nearing hundreds, sang in their native tongue while waving the blue and yellow flag of their home country along Waterside Drive.
Many who came are like Humen: Ukrainian-born but now living in Hampton Roads, while other family members and loved ones are still overseas trapped in the country.
“My oldest daughter born was born in Ukraine. Me and my wife are from the same town and region, which has already been attacked by Russian forces," Humen said.
“All my family are there, I came here because I married. I couldn’t bring anyone to see how I live here, and it was my dream to show them in real life," Tetiana Reku said.
“This is the hardest thing in my life," she added.
Their pain is the same, even though they come from all over the country.
Dr. Anna Makhorkina of Virginia Beach said she and her family are from the Lviv area of Ukraine. While it's in the western part of the country and further away from the country's front lines, she can only still worry about how close the impacts are.
“Several objects around Lviv were hit, and I couldn’t reach my parents for several hours. No one is safe in Ukraine, it's full-out war," Makhorkina said.
Protest organizers told 13News Now they hope to have another demonstration in Virginia Beach in the coming weeks.
