Roswell is showing solidarity with Ukraine by illuminating City Hall with yellow and blue lights.
The colors of the Ukrainian flag first appeared Friday night when council members Will Morthland, Christine Hall and Lee Hills gathered outside City Hall with nearly 30 people showing support for the country and local residents with Ukranian roots.
The European country has been under attack by Russia since Thursday.
Morthland said the lights will be displayed for as many nights as possible.
Credit: Adrianne Murchison
Credit: Adrianne Murchison
Hall’s 18-year-old twin son and daughter were adopted from Ukraine at age three, she said.
The councilwoman told the crowd that her own parents are natives of Poland and grew up under socialism and communism.
“… We don’t recognize the freedoms that we have,” Hall said. “We can put on demonstrations like Black Lives Matter, or we can burn our flag if we want, or go to social media and say things about politicians that we don’t agree with.
“These aren’t things you can’t do under a (Vladimir) Putin regime because you just won’t be around afterward.”
Andriy Khomenko, 46, a Roswell resident and native of Ukraine, updated the crowd on what is taking place there, telling how many citizens were sheltering in the subway for safety.
Khomenko told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his mother-in-law came to the U.S. on a visa two weeks ago because his family was anticipating the Russian attack.
“I hope the (blue and yellow) lights will stay on until democracy wins in Ukraine,” he told the crowd.
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