On Sunday, more than 300 people gathered at the state capitol in Raleigh for the "Stand with Ukraine rally." There were speeches by elected officials and others, traditional music performances, lots of flag-waving, and about a dozen baby strollers were on display to symbolize the children who've perished in the war. The event was organized in part by Ukrainians in the Carolinas — a loose group of volunteers shipping medical supplies, assisting refugees, and hosting cultural events.
Director Olena Kozlova-Pates has family members still in Ukraine. She says invasions like this one have been going on in the region for hundreds of years.
“They're fighting for their identity,” says Kozlova-Pates. “They're fighting for their homes, they're fighting for their land, they're fighting for their language, for their culture, for their history, and for preserving that culture and history and language and home. So, it's the type of a fight that they will never give up until their last fighter.”
Ukrainians in the Carolinas are asking for increased weapons and warplanes shipments, humanitarian corridors, and legislation that allows Ukrainian refugees to enter the United States.