Multiple peace groups in Columbia held a demonstration Friday calling for an end to the war
COLUMBIA - Friday marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Multiple peace groups in Columbia held a demonstration Friday calling for an end to the war. Around 20 people gathered outside Columbia City Hall, holding signs and advocating for peace.
The peace demonstration in Columbia is just one of thousands across the country and the world calling for Russia to stop its war on Ukraine. Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation and Veterans for Peace, Charlie Atkins Chapter were all in attendance.
Missourians gathered outside Columbia City Hall Friday for a peaceful demonstration on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mark Haim, director of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, says it is time for peace and to end this war as soon as possible.
“We are here to say it is time to end the fighting in Ukraine, to have ceasefire and negotiations for just settlement,” Haim said. “There has been a massive loss of life. Millions of people got disrupted, it's got to stop."
Another speaker at the peace demonstration was John Betz, president of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace.
“If you have 10,000 communities in the United States doing what we are doing today, it sure seemed to make a difference in the Vietnam War finally," Betz said. "You do what you can, I don't know what more you can do besides talking to your representatives ... If we don't, there will be more blood and more blood."
Ekaterina Coleman is both a U.S. and Russian citizen. Coleman left Russia nearly 11 years ago. For the past couple of years, she has lived in Missouri with her husband and studied at MU.
But for Coleman, throughout this past year, she has worried about what tomorrow will bring.
When the war on Ukraine started, Coleman said she did not think the war would last a long time.
“For the whole year, I have been thinking about what is going to be tomorrow. If I am going to see my mother again? Is my daughter going to be able to meet grandma and grandpa?” Coleman said.
Her family is still in Russia. Coleman’s mother has a passport, but her father is having trouble getting a passport of his own.
“We applied for his passport, but we were told that they don't know when or if he will ever get one,” Coleman said.
Coleman's mother was able to come visit for a month, but the goodbye was extremely difficult, she said.
“I was saying goodbye to her, I was like, 'Well when will I see her again? When will be the next time?'” Coleman said.
Coleman said she would love for her daughter to see where she grew up, but says it's not the time to bring her there. She keeps in touch with her family and they try to talk every day, but she says she is fearful of the future.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Coleman said she has not experienced any discrimination for being Russian. But she said she has stopped talking to some of her friends who have justified Russia’s actions.
“It is not a time for justification," Coleman said. "It is a time to think about what went wrong and how I can make a change from my end."
Coleman says she has a lot of Ukrainian friends but worries about the future of the two countries.
“I can't even imagine living on the edge for this past year,” Coleman said. “I hope for the victory of Ukraine and just pray for Ukraine."
