Protesters braved a cold and wet Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon to protest President Joe Biden‘s handling of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are terrified. All Ukrainians in Ukraine [and] here, we are terrified. We are angry, and we want action,” a Ukrainian protester named Kate told the Washington Examiner.
She added that the invasion was sudden, taking place in the early hours of Thursday morning local time. “It wasn’t real. Nobody wanted to believe that,” she said.
UKRAINE CLAIMS CREDIT FOR DOWNING FIVE RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS AS WAR LOOMS
“We are here to protest that act of aggression,” Kate, who has family members in Ukraine, continued.
Protesters participated in a number of chants, among them “Stand with Ukraine,” “Support Ukraine now,” “Stop war now,” and “We demand sanctions.”
Protestors chant “Stand with Ukraine” pic.twitter.com/ncKfhi8DyW
— Julia Johnson (@juliaajohnson_) February 24, 2022
They also joined together in song at times.
Protesters pleaded with people to call their senators and representatives and demand action. One demonstrator also asked for listeners to use social media to spread the message.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, with regard to the sanctions against Russia put in place by the administration, “We do see them having a deterrent impact.”
However, she told reporters Thursday, “That doesn’t mean they’re 100% foolproof.”
