MILWAUKEE — Ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Monday, Feb. 24, Milwaukee was one of dozens of cities across the United States where community members gathered with speeches, song and prayer.
About 200 people held blue and yellow flags and signs at Museum Center Park on Wisconsin Ave. on Sunday. They also held ribbons descending from a wreath of sunflowers — Ukraine’s national flower and a symbol of peace.
“My parents actually had to flee their home when the Russian tanks started rolling down their street in Donetsk,” Karina Tweedell, a board member with Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc. told WTMJ. “That area continues being occupied by Russia.”
An organizer of Sunday’s rally, Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc. estimates there are about 10,000 Ukrainians or people with Ukrainian roots in Wisconsin. The organization coordinates donations to the front lines of fighting and holds cultural community-building events in the Milwaukee area.
Wisconsin Ukrainians also helps refugees transition to life in the U.S. Tweedell says they’re planning a financial literacy seminar in partnership with Milwaukee-based Hanan Refugees Relief Group in March.
“Most of the Ukrainians here are first-generation immigrants,” said Tweedell. “We still have our friends, our relatives who are living now under daily air raids. It’s really close to our heart.”
Among the keynote speakers at Sunday’s rally were Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Alderman Peter Burgelis. In 2022, Milwaukee County passed a resolution authored by Alderman Burgelis condeming the war and highlighting support efforts by local organizations.
“We’re evidence that support goes beyond the Ukraine diaspora,” Henry Shirley with Ukrainian Milwaukee told WTMJ. “It’s about democracy, it’s about self-determination, and it’s about the rule of law and sovereignty.”
President of Wisconsin Ukrainians Halyna Salapata echoed that in a post on Facebook: “We are here not just to demand action but to remind the world that Ukraine’s fight is a fight for democracy, for freedom, for the values we all hold dear.”
