MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A slew of people gathered in Macomb County on Saturday to show support for Ukraine as the nation defends itself during a Russian attack.
Dozens of people lined Hall Road in Macomb County, holding signs and waving Ukrainian flags in protest of Russia’s invasion of the country.
“It’s our tears and we are praying for the world to hear us, please hear us,” Iryna Didukh said.
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Didukh’s plea Saturday afternoon was personal -- her father and husband’s father are still in Ukraine. Many others stood with Didukh out in the cold, thinking of their parents, siblings and friends who are also in Ukraine.
Ruslana Proonko’s brother and father are there in the former Soviet nation, and she’s terrified to know what might happen next.
“I’m really worried, because my father stays alone at his house,” Proonko said. “No one is there, only him. So I’m worried. He is over 70.”
Even though they are thousands of miles away, Metro Detroiters showed their support and said they hurt with their homeland. They felt the had to do something instead of sitting at home, worrying and watching, as the situation unfolds.
Asking for prayers and getting people to honk in support may seem small, but to Proonko and others out on Hall Road Saturday, it meant a lot.
“Americans, really their reaction is important for us,” Proonko said. “Each step is important for us, for the Ukrainian community here and for Ukrainians in Ukraine.”
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