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HomeNewsLocal News200 attend rally at Thrive to show solidarity with Ukraine

200 attend rally at Thrive to show solidarity with Ukraine

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200 attend rally at Thrive to show solidarity with Ukraine

News Story by Cassy Benefield | FāVS News

On the corner of East 4th Ave. and South Cowley St. roughly 200 people showed their support for Ukraine at a rally held at Thrive Center Wednesday evening. With flags, sunflowers, signs and one bullhorn, protesters shouted chants and stood in solidarity with Ukrainians as cars passed by, many honking their horns in support.

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Protesters gathered in front of Thrive Center March 19 to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainians. As cars drove by, some drivers honked their support. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

“Show me what democracy looks like!” shouted Jaime Smith from the bullhorn, to which the the crowd answered back, “This is what democracy looks like!”

Her parents raised her to stand with America’s allies and “not cower to bullies,” she said.

“There is no justification for what’s happening. There’s no justification for the lack of support, either for Ukraine or Palestine,” she said. “Everyone deserves to be safe and seen and supported. “

The Rally for Ukraine began with everyone gathered in the parking lot of the Center along East 4th Ave. By the proposed 5:30 p.m. start time, more than half the protesters were already in their place.

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Tim Gallagher stands with Ukraine and used his flag to show it. He attended the Rally for Ukraine with about 200 protesters on March 19. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

One of them was Tim Gallagher, who came with his new “I stand with Ukraine” flag. It’s a duplicate of the same flag he’s had hanging in front of his garage since the war started.

“I stand with Ukraine,” he said. “The invasion of Ukraine was totally wrong.”

Around 6 p.m., the protest crowd walked toward the front of the building for a brief, informal program. Thrive International’s Executive Director Mark Finney was introduced by the Rev. Jim Castrolong, who oversees the Center’s Human Resources, Policy and Advocacy.

“Who loves freedom today?” Finney said, describing the diversity of the people living in America today. “We have forgotten we are a nation of immigrants.”

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Sofia Novochekhova’s was born in Ukraine and moved to the U.S. when she was 5-years-old. Her cousin currently fights on the front line. She stood in solidarity with him, her family and her people, while meeting new individuals who share her concerns. “I love events like this, where I can connect with more folks in my community,” she said. Photo taken on March 19 at Rally for Ukraine in Spokane, Washington. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

To this, he asked people to raise their voices and shout in support, some in the audience doing so with bells.

Before he introduced Thrive employee Mariia Mykhaileako to encourage the crowd, he read Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus,” which is inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Continuing from her words “give me your tired, poor, your huddled masses … the wretched refuse of your teeming shore,” Finney added his own words.

“We are the wretched masses of people who are bombed out of our homes and starved out of places like Ireland, where my ancestors came from and came here looking for a better life,” he said. “That is who we are, and that’s why we’ve gathered today — to remember that.”

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On the left, Mark Finney, executive director of Thrive International, stood next to the Rev. Jim Castrolong, director of Human Resources, Policy and Advocacy for Thrive. He read Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” and reminded the attendees, “We are a nation of immigrants.” Photo taken on March 19 at Rally for Ukraine in Spokane, Washington. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

Mykhaileako, Thrive’s finance and operations manager, then asked the crowd to keep standing up for Ukraine. She said they deserve to live without fear and without the daily threat of violence. 

“They deserve the chance to rebuild, to heal and to thrive again,” she said. “But this is not something that will happen on its own. It requires all of us. It requires the unity and the love that I see in this crowd today.”

Part of the informal program included a candlelight vigil on behalf of the Ukrainian people. In the picture, attendees took a moment of silence for the conflict and the victims of the Russian war with Ukraine. Photo taken on March 19 at Rally for Ukraine in Spokane, Washington. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

One of those Ukrainians trying to rebuild stood in the crowd with the rest of the supporters. Yelyzaveta Shchukina held Ukrainian and American flags in her left hand and a candle in her right to show both her support and concern.

She sought asylum in America prior to the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program. This program invited Ukrainians to the U.S. for a chance to live in peace and safety while the war with Russia continued. Instead she took the asylum route.

Her journey started in Romania, where she stayed for a month, then flew to Mexico City. There, she found arrangements to get to Tijuana and walked across the border into the U.S. asking for asylum. That was in April 2022.

“I left Ukraine because I’m afraid of war,” Shchukina said through her phone’s interpretation app. “It’s dangerous for us to live now. Bombs are flying. These drones are exploding, killing people.”

Right now, she waits to raise money to hire lawyers for the asylum process, which she said is very expensive. While waiting, Shchukina is tracked by a GPS device given to her by the federal government that she is required to have with her at all times.

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Yelyzaveta Shchukina, second from left in the front row, sought asylum in the U.S. in April 2022. Since then, she stayed at Thrive Center for two years and now lives in a senior apartment community. As a single woman, she fled Ukraine alone because she feared for her life. Here she is with others participating in a candlelight vigil for her people. Photo taken on March 19 at Rally for Ukraine in Spokane, Washington. / Photo by Cassy Benefield (FāVS News)

She is happy to be here, safe and free, she said, even if she doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Part of that happiness stems from events like Thrive Center’s Rally for Ukraine. Part of it stems from her faith.

“I am very glad the American people support Ukraine,” Shchukina said. “We are so warmly received here, and I am grateful to God.”

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Cassy Benefield
Cassy Benefield
Cassy (pronounced like Cassie but spelled with a 'y') Benefield is a wife and mother, a writer and photographer and a huge fan of non-fiction. She has traveled all her life, first as an Army brat. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (2004-2006) to Romania where she mainly taught Conversational English. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Cal Poly Technical University in San Luis Obispo, California. She finds much comfort in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and considers herself a religion nerd who is prone to buy more books, on nearly any topic, than she is ever able to read. She is the associate editor of FāVS.News.

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