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Roughly 1,000 protesters, most of them donning blue and yellow, stood in Daley Plaza to rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Sunday afternoon.

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Children held up handcrafted signs that said “I stand with Ukraine” while adults held up signs saying “Close the sky” and “No fly zone.”

Protesters are pushing for NATO to make the airspace over Ukraine a no-fly zone for Russian aircraft.

The event was what Ukrainian native Olexanderia Kolenskyj called “a cry for humanity.”

People hold a large Ukrainian flag on March 6, 2022, as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
People hold a large Ukrainian flag on March 6, 2022, as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Ukrainian-born Halyna Stetsyuk is comforted by her brother Vasyl Stetsyuk as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. They have been in Chicago for 10 years. Marina Lebedima, also Ukrainian, stands at right.
Ukrainian-born Halyna Stetsyuk is comforted by her brother Vasyl Stetsyuk as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. They have been in Chicago for 10 years. Marina Lebedima, also Ukrainian, stands at right.

“I am shocked about this war because it started suddenly,” Kolenskyj said. “I came from Ukraine just three months ago and everything was fine.”

Kolenskyj described Ukraine as a beautiful, developed country full of people and lots of tourists.

“And now it’s ruined,” Kolenskyj said. “It’s very difficult to accept.”

Kolenskyj, who is from west Ukraine, said that although she was in her native land not too long ago, she can’t imagine what it’s like now.

“Today, 38 children were killed and 67 were wounded,” Kolenskyj said. “Intelligent people in Ukraine (who don’t) like to fight were bombed, killed and pressed to move from their home over the border to Poland, Germany, somewhere, with one bag and children in their hands.”

Kolenskyj said each day that passes gets scarier for her because she worries about her loved ones.

“I have relatives out there, my brother lives out there,” Kolenskyj said tearfully. “Every day (Russia’s military) is getting closer and closer.

Oleksandr Bytsko, who is from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, went to the rally with his son, Marko, and new wife, Julia Poliakova.

Oleksandr Bytsko, center, puts his arm around his wife, Julia Poliakova, as they stand with his son Marko, left, as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The couple are newlyweds. They had a church wedding in Kyiv in February and were on honeymoon in Egypt when the war started and were unable to return home. They arrived in Chicago three days ago. Bytsko plans to return to Ukraine in a week to fight for his country.
Oleksandr Bytsko, center, puts his arm around his wife, Julia Poliakova, as they stand with his son Marko, left, as hundreds of people gather in Daley Plaza to protest the violent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The couple are newlyweds. They had a church wedding in Kyiv in February and were on honeymoon in Egypt when the war started and were unable to return home. They arrived in Chicago three days ago. Bytsko plans to return to Ukraine in a week to fight for his country.

“We are here to ask people of the world to try and close the sky,” Bytsko said. “This war has to stop.”

Bytsko landed in Chicago with his family on March 3. It’s a trip they did not plan to take.

On Feb. 22, Bytsko and Poliakova got married at a church in Kyiv. On Feb. 23, the couple flew to Egypt for their honeymoon. And on Feb. 24, the war began.

“There was no possibility for us to come back to Ukraine,” Bytsko said.

But Bytsko said he wants to make his way back in one week.

“I think my wife will stay here and I will go back to Ukraine to fight for my country,” Bytsko said.