SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Hundreds of people filled the Civic Center Plaza outside of San Francisco’s city hall to protest against Russia invading Ukraine.
“Now seeing so many people here, it’s just uplifting,” said Vira Iefremova.
Iefremova is a scientist working at UC Berkeley from Ukraine, and she still has friends and family there.
“Some of my friends had to spend tonight in a metro station sheltering, so I hope they will be okay, but no one knows really,” Iefremova said.
She helped plan the gathering, along with Melanie McCutchan who also has Ukrainian ancestry.
“As an American, I would be out here anyway even if this wasn’t personal because Putin is a threat to democracy around the world,” McCutchan said.
Some of the people had no connection to Ukraine, and there were others who support Ukraine despite being Russian.
“I’m appalled at what’s going on. This aggression of Russia against Ukraine was totally unprovoked,” said protestor Alexander Allan.
Allan lived in Russia before the fall of the Soviet Union.
But he has friends who are Ukrainian and doesn’t back Putin.
“We’re here all together supporting Ukraine and actually condemning Putin,” Allan said.
Some people say they’re grateful they live here in the United States where they are free to protest the invasion.
“I heard today in Russia there were Russians protesting against all of this, and they got beaten and carted of prison,” McCutchan said. “I cherish this right to come out and speak and be free, and that’s all Ukrainians want.”
Many attendees of the protest say they will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.