By Jessica Easthope
On the boardwalk, people are expressing their anger about the war in Ukraine and about the man who started it, Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“I think that he’s drunk with power, and I’m not sure what goals he is trying to pursue but I just hope that he will wake up one day and look in the mirror and ask himself; is he happy with what he’s done,” said protester Anastasiia Stepanova.
The boardwalk is in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, where the elevated train noisily rumbles over businesses that have signs in Russian.
So many people from the countries of the former Soviet Union live here in the neighborhood also known as “Little Odessa.”
“Putin is a killer,” said Liliia Rakhmangulova, “We live together with Ukrainian brothers and sisters. This has to be stopped.”
Brighton Bazaar grocery store customer, Michael, moved here about 20 years ago from Moscow.
“The government of Ukraine and the government of Russia should negotiate. The war shouldn’t be. I agree with this,” he said.
Up the road a bit is the Brooklyn Banya, a traditional Russian bath house, with a TV tuned to Russian news and clientele from the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Ukrainian owner, Alona Kruglak says everyone has always gotten along here.
“And now, all of a sudden, we’re being divided, saying ‘you’re Ukrainian, I hate you, you’re Russia, I hate you,'” she said. “It’s just not so, nobody hates anybody. Nobody wants this war.”
Back at the beach, protesters say this is unbearable.
“I cry every day. I read the news. And I just can’t take it,” Stepanova said. “Please hold on, and we are together here for you, and we are there for you, and everything will be good because there is no other way.”