Two U. organizations hold anti-war rally in solidarity with Ukraine amid current global crisis
Members of the Rutgers Ukrainian Students Club and RU Progressive held a rally yesterday near Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to protest the war in Ukraine.
The rally was held in order to demonstrate support for those affected by the conflict, which includes more than 70,000 Ukrainian-Americans living in New Jersey, according to a recent Instagram post by RU Progressive.
Daria Smaluch, a Rutgers Business School senior and president of the Rutgers Ukrainian Students Club, said the rally was held in order to maintain the attention that Ukraine has received amid the current crisis.
“For many of us who are Ukrainian, this started eight years ago, not two weeks ago,” Smaluch said. “It took quite really the most barbaric thing that people have seen in a while to pay attention, and we just don't want this to go away because we've seen in Eastern Europe when Russia gets involved ... people look away really quickly.”
The University has not yet released a statement regarding what is happening in Ukraine, which she said has been very discouraging to those at Rutgers who are Ukrainian and are directly affected by it.
Smaluch also said the most important thing that members of the Rutgers community can do to help is to continue to bring attention to the situation in any way possible, including reaching out to members of Congress.
“There are so many charities that are currently trying to help … There's a lot (of people) that are helping on the border but very few who are internally,” she said. “Children are dying from dehydration, something that hasn't happened even in World War II, and I think people really can't have this be something they just see on television.”
Laura Esteban, a School of Arts and Sciences senior and political director of RU Progressive, said she was in charge of organizing the logistics of the rally after another executive board member who is Ukrainian said the club should do something to help Ukraine.
She said it was important for the rally to be held in order to provide a platform to people who are against the war and to show solidarity to the Ukrainian community at the University.
"The U.S. media doesn't give us as much information as it should," Esteban said. "For example, one of the things that you don't really hear too much about on the news is the fact that Russia is directly targeting nuclear plants and bombing them, and so they're already using nuclear weapons against Ukrainians."
She also said that even though the conflict seems distant, it is a large global issue that is already affecting people at Rutgers so it is very important for the University community to stay updated on what is going on and be in solidarity with Ukraine. She said those who are able to should donate to charities that are in support of Ukraine.
Giancarlo Garcia, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year and member of RU Progressive, said that he initially joined the organization to find others of shared interests and get involved in activism.
He said that he participated in the rally to stand in support of the sovereignty of Ukrainian people, whose will and democratic processes are being encroached upon.
He also said that the conflict is not just important to those in Ukraine, but affects those all over the globe due to Russia’s threat of geopolitical power.
“I think it’s important to show that people all across the world need to show solidarity with Ukraine right now,” Garcia said. “It’s an issue which is almost unprecedented for the 21st century, and this is probably one of the largest European conflicts since World War II.”
