Islanders of all ages rallied for peace in Ukraine at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven Saturday afternoon.
Islanders of all ages rallied for peace in Ukraine at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven Saturday afternoon.
About 80 people attended the rally.
About 80 people attended the rally.
The crowd of about 80 people was dotted with blue and yellow signs bearing messages such as “Solidarity With Ukraine.” Demonstrators wore blue and yellow clothing and waved Ukrainian flags. Two alpacas from the Island Alpaca farm joined the small throng on a sunny, cold day.
“We’re just bringing them out to send a message . . . alpacas for peace,” farm owner Barbara Ronchetti said.
The peaceful demonstration was partly organized by Iya Labunka, a West Tisbury resident and Ukranian American who has family members in the now war-torn country.
During a speech to the crowd, she held up a picture of her mother Maria posing with a gun from her time as a member of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, an underground militia that fought for an independent Ukraine in the 1940s.
“That the last few remaining members of my family in Ukraine are once again forced to take up arms to ward off unwanted invaders, brutal aggressors and occupiers horrifies me,” Ms. Labunka said.
A broken heel didn’t stop Cliff Freedman from attending the rally. Mr. Freedman, who is 75, said the war is the saddest thing he’s witnessed in his life. He is most dismayed by the killing of Ukrainian civilians and feels sorry for the Russian people, many of whom don’t support the war.
Sunflowers for Ukraine.
Sunflowers for Ukraine.
“Inside their hearts they’re just like me. They don’t believe this should happen,” Mr. Freedman said.
Ms. Labunka said there are a number of things people can do to help Ukraine. She encouraged people to contact their elected officials to keep pressure on for more economic sanctions, donate to organizations helping Ukrainian refugees and denounce Russian misinformation as well as the country’s crackdown on free speech.
“This will get worse before it gets better, but we must hold steadfast, even in the face of the sacrifices to come,” Ms. Labunka said. “The world is watching and our very fate depends on how we act now.”
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"Say your prayers and move
Jesse Chase Martha's Vineyard"Say your prayers and move your feet."
'How Americans Can Help People of Ukraine' (March 4, 2022)
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/04/how-americans-can-help-people-o…
The Film Society will do its
MV Film Society Vineyard HavenThe Film Society will do its part, the best way it can, by offering a SPECIAL SCREENING/FUNDRAISER for HUMANITARIAN AID TO UKRAINE this Saturday, March 12th at 7:30pm. I hope you can join us and learn more about this conflict and Ukrainian lives.
THE EARTH IS BLUE AS A ORANGE (Ukraine) — Exquisitely shot and bold in its storytelling approach, director Iryna Tsilyk’s documentary follows single mother Anna and her four children as they document their lives under siege in Ukraine (remember pro-Russian groups started this conflict in 2014). With miraculous insight, “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange” observes a family—and a filmmaker—coping with war using their cameras, working in tandem to create meaning out of a meaningless conflict. This film premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
It was a worthy turnout. Iya
Thomas Dresser oak bluffsIt was a worthy turnout. Iya Labunka's powerful speech drew us together, making us aware of the personal tragedy her family has endured. That trauma and tragedy is once more being reflected in the horrific attack by Russia on Ukraine. The Ukrainian people are strong, they are "not dead yet," as Iya shared with us.
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