WINONA, Minn. – Nearly 1 00 people gathered at Windom Park to show support for Ukrainians in their defense against the Russian invasion. Speakers recalled warm personnel experiences from being in Ukraine sand shared updates on the war. The rally was organized by the club United at the Winona High School. Planning began two weeks ago, just after Russian tanks and infantry crossed borders into Ukraine under false claims by Russian president Vladimir Putin, including that Russian-speaking people in Ukraine were being persecuted and that Nazis had taken over.
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Freyja Wolfe, high school junior: “I know of people who live in Ukraine, and we’ve been hearing a lot about it in classes and on the news. The refugees, the blood being spilt and the imperialism. We just wanted to find a way to show our support and show that we see them and that we stand with them. We don’t agree with anything the Russian government and Putin is doing.”