Five years ago, on March 6, 2014, more than 2,000 people demonstrated in front of the White House in Washington to protest against Russia’s invasion of Crimea and President Vladimir Putin’s violation of international laws. The protest, which ran from 1 p.m. to approximately 3:30 p.m., was organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).
Protesters, which included Crimean Tatars, Poles, Estonians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Turks, Circassians, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Georgians and, of course, Ukrainians, came from Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston and from across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and the surrounding Washington area.
Following the singing of the Ukrainian, U.S. and Crimean national anthems, an opening prayer was led by Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Bishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., who were joined by clergy from both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
The prayers noted, “Let none surrender to evil and mistrust,” as they petitioned for prayers for Ukraine’s oppressors who are “lost souls.” Prayers were also offered for the lives lost during the Euro-Maidan protests in Ukraine, and the human sacrifices of those who showed “no hesitation to help support human dignity.”
Michael Sawkiw Jr., director of the Ukrainian National Information Service, introduced speakers from representatives of various European ethnic groups and organizations, as well as members of Congress, including Reps. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.).
The speakers noted the time for dialogue in response to the crisis in Ukraine was over, and the time for action had come to strengthen democracy in Ukraine. Rep. Levin reminded that President Barack Obama had signed sanctions into law in response to Russia’s actions, with the crowd erupting into chants of “God Bless America” and “Thank you!”
Mubeyyin Altan, head of the Crimean Association of New York, questioned the polling results in Russia’s sham referendum in February 2014. “Tatars,” he said, “believe in a peaceful Crimea, and shows its solidarity with its Ukrainian friends, who say no to the Russian invasion of Crimea – an integral part of Ukraine.” Mr. Altan appealed to international leaders for a coordinated response by the U.S., the European Union and the United Nations to stop Russian aggression in Crimea and Ukraine.
Tamara Olexy, president of the UCCA, thanked the U.S. for its support of Ukraine during this crisis, noting the work of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the U.S. Congress in pushing for sanctions against Russia. She urged the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and underscored the need for deeper U.S. isolation of Russia, reminding that all options needed to remain open to ensure that the Russian troops leave Ukraine. “Russia needs to abandon its imperial ambitions and behave as a civilized country,” she said.
Ayla Bakkalli, U.S. representative of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, spoke about the rights of indigenous people – the Crimean Tatars – and their right to self-determination. She explained that the sham referendum, held on March 16, 2014, was not meant to reflect the will of the people. In reality, Mr. Putin fears true democracy and any public expression of the people that differs from the Kremlin’s message. The international community, she said, must reject the Kremlin’s false claim that Crimeans wanted to unite with Russia.
The protest concluded with the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches offering prayers for the souls of those who died during the Euro-Maidan with the singing of “Vichnaya Pamiat” (Memory Eternal), hope for Ukraine was expressed with the singing of “Mnohaya Lita” (Many Years), the Ukrainian national anthem and “God Bless America.”
As the crowd dispersed, many marched to the Embassy of Russia for an hour-long protest that began at 4 p.m.
Source: “Thousands in Washington protest against Russian aggression,” by Matthew Dubas, The Ukrainian Weekly, March 16, 2014.