JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People gathered in downtown Jacksonville Friday, some waving a Ukraine flag, others carrying signs condemning Russia’s attack on the country. The demonstrators marched through downtown and onto the Main Street bridge.
And many of them had their own personal stories to share. Loved ones fighting, some are taking shelter in metro stations, and women and children are trying to flee to safety.
One man who immigrated from Ukraine told News4JAX it’s his birthday. One of his friends, who is taking up arms to fight the invasion, called to wish him a happy birthday Thursday because he wasn’t sure he’d be alive Friday, and he hasn’t heard from him again.
Another woman told News4JAX a pregnant friend of hers from near the Russian border, fled with her two small children, traveling through the woods on foot to make it to safety across the Polish border. They made it thankfully, but her husband is staying behind to fight.
She said her sister, whose from near Kyiv, is trying to flee in the car with her kids, but they’ve been stuck in traffic for ten hours and are looking for shelter.
Another woman told us her parents are in an area that’s being bombed.
“I spoke with my mom, right now they’re at their home and they know there is bombing,” Olena Myroshynk said. “They don’t know if they will...I don’t know if I’ll be able to speak with them tomorrow.”
People at the demonstration said they’re glad the U.S. is sending weapons and taking refugees. But they want them to do more, they want more military help and they want Biden to take sanctions a step further by cutting off Russia from SWIFT, which is a system that allows the smooth transaction of money across borders.
Many told News4JAX that Ukrainians will fight to the bitter end to protect their country.
“We are trying to say, we want to show that Ukraine is not alone,” said Ivan Strilchuk who is from Ukraine but now lives in Jacksonville. “We support our people, our fighting right now is for their independence.”
One woman who immigrated from Ukraine also said she’s worried about ethnic animosity some Russians feel toward Ukranians. She had friends in Russia and one of them posted on social media something along the lines of I want all Ukranians to suffocate and die. People out here today tell me they’re worried about this devolving into genocide.