24 June 2010
Washington, DC (UNIS) - On Thursday, June 24th, over 150 Ukrainian Americans arrived on a blistering hot day in the nation’s capital to join the national rally before the Russian Embassy to protest Russia’s interference in Ukraine’s internal and external affairs. The protest coincided with the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Washington, where he held meetings with President Obama, most notably to discuss the ‘re-set’ of relations between the two countries. Indeed, the purpose of the demonstration was to bring attention to the ‘re-setting’ of relations between the U.S. and Russia and how it is affects relations with Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region.
Shortly before noon, the first of several buses carrying Ukrainian Americans arrived. While most came from the mid-Atlantic and Northeast corridor, other protesters traveled from as far away as California, Canada, and the Midwest. Despite the hot weather, it was clear that the demonstrators wanted their voices to be heard. Signs, placards, and dozens of Ukrainian and American flags draped Wisconsin Avenue opposite the Russian Embassy where the protest was being held. Slogans such as “Russia, Hands off Ukraine”; “Ukrainians Say No to Russian Aggression”; “No Russian Fleet in Ukraine”; and, “Russia, Recognize the Holodomor”; were just some examples of the passionate phrases that gripped those rallying during Medvedev’s visit to the nation’s capital.
The two-hour demonstration began promptly at noon with opening remarks from Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the Washington, DC-based public affairs bureau of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA). Mr. Sawkiw greeted the large crowd and expressed his gratitude to all those gathered. He went on to stress the importance of making Russian and American authorities aware of the consequences of failing to support democratic reforms in Ukraine. “We stand in front of the Russian Embassy,” stated Mr. Sawkiw, “united in protest against Russia’s aggressive actions towards Ukraine. In fact, our message is fairly simple: “It’s Russia, stupid!” Russia’s aggressive behavior and imperialistic tendencies have led to instability and discontent not just in Ukraine, but throughout the region.” His remarks were followed by a very exuberant singing of the Ukrainian National Anthem, “Shche Ne Vmerla Ukraina”, whose words and melody were heard loud and clear at the Russian Embassy compound.
As the organizer of the national demonstration, Tamara Gallo Olexy, President of the UCCA, stressed in her remarks that Ukraine is not for sale and that imperialistic Russia must relinquish its hold on the Ukrainian people, stating, “As Medvedev represents the imperialistic nation of Russia, set on thwarting Ukraine’s democratic future, we are here today to protest his visit, and make known to the world that we, as proud Ukrainians and Americans of Ukrainian descent, will not tolerate further Russian interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs.” She continued, “The more Ukraine is manipulated into becoming dependent on Russia - be it economically or through security measures - the less likely it will be for Ukraine to integrate into the Western democratic world in the future. If Ukraine falls under Russia’s shadow, Ukraine’s unique language, history and culture, its sovereignty and its very freedom will all be in serious jeopardy. Let us not forget our own history! Ukraine labored under the yoke of Russian imperialism for over 300 years. On its present course, under the leadership of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, our brethren may once again find themselves in Russian shackles, unless we speak up now! Let’s tell President Medvedev that we won’t tolerate Russia’s meddling in Ukraine’s affairs and we won’t let them influence Ukraine’s future!”
Former Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and UCCA president, Askold Lozynskyj, then delivered an emotionally impassioned speech, attacking the Russian government, pledging to fight imperial Russian tendencies, and also stressing to the Obama administration that if Ukraine continues to be ignored at the expense of improving relations with the undemocratic regime in Moscow, President Obama will lose the support of the American people. He stated, "With the demise of the USSR, Russia's neighbors and the world community had good reason to expect an end to Russian bullying. Unfortunately, we were naive. Most recently, particularly, since its invasion of Georgia, Russia has brazenly and aggressively pursued an imperialistic policy of domination over its neighbors. The most recent victim is Ukraine where Russia, through its surrogates, has installed a puppet regime. Our message here today to Russia is that the Ukrainian American community and every other Ukrainian community in the world, will meet and confront Russia's challenge at every opportunity. Further we shall seek the assistance of our good government officials, the President, our representatives in Congress. We will urge them to recognize for themselves that Russia is an undemocratic and uncivilized aggressor and that the proper place of the government of the United States of America is with the Ukrainian, Georgian, Polish and other people, not with the thugs in Moscow."
As the afternoon wore on, a few more people joined in the crowd and other remarks were delivered by representatives from other communities to energize the crowd. Maria Shcherbyuk, representing the UCCA Illinois Branch stressed the importance of teaching the Ukrainian language, while others spoke about the importance of remembering the historical contributions of those who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine’s independence. Borys Potapenko, on behalf of the League of Ukrainians in Canada (LUC), delivered impassioned remarks about the vital role of Ukraine in the geo-global political arena. Michael Koziupa, Chairman of the Organization of the Defense of Four Freedoms in Ukraine (ODFFU) also read a statement of the organization.
Throughout the demonstration, the demonstration garnered more attention, as cars began honking their horns in a show of solidarity with the protesters. Members of the Polish and Georgian community attended the demonstration to not only express their solidarity with the Ukrainian community and the situation in Ukraine, but also to state their angst about Russia’s meddling and their so-called ‘sphere of influence’ in Central and East Europe. They stressed that the countries of their forefathers remained united with the people of Ukraine and that they desired to see a democratic Ukraine free from Russian obstruction.
The speeches concluded with the UCCA’s “Russian Assault on Ukraine” statement read by Roksolana Stojko-Lozynskyj, Chair of the UCCA’s External Affairs Committee. The statement highlights several examples of Russia’s desire to strip away Ukraine’s sovereignty and strongly encourages the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress to acknowledge that Ukraine and its democratic aspirations are of utmost importance to the U.S.’ security interests. UCCA’s statement concludes with “standing up for a democratic Ukraine and the values of freedom and democracy that we cherish in the United States must never be sacrificed to appease those who would so easily trample upon these same fundamental values and rights.” The complete statement can be read on the UCCA website at www.ucca.org.
One of the most impressive aspects about the national demonstration was both the diversity of the crowd gathered and the messages that were delivered. Not only were there representatives from all over the region, but both old and young members of the Ukrainian American community gathered together as one. In addition to members from the Federation of Ukrainian Student Organizations of America (SUSTA), a group of activists from Los Angeles traveled on a red-eye flight to attend the protest. When asked about their journey to Washington, Luba Keske, representing the Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Los Angeles, explained: “We came because as Ukrainians, the preservation of our language, our cultural heritage and the independence of Ukraine are important to us. This was a call for Ukrainians from all across this great country of America to come together, to unite and to let the Russian leader see our strength in support of Ukraine, the land of our forefathers. We came because we are able to enjoy freedom of speech in this country and our voices represent the solidarity of those who were unable to attend.”
As the protest came to an end the entire crowd, accompanied by the guitar playing of Maksym Lozynskyj and Stefan Kaczurak, sang the national anthem of Ukraine. It was a fitting way to conclude the protest, for it was in defense of Ukraine’s independence and democracy that brought Ukrainians from around the United States together to support their homeland.
