After singing the US national anthem, 15 year old Evangelina Asatkova sang the Ukrainian national anthem.
Born in Crimea, she was only 6 years old when Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.
“I actually came here eight months after the war started, and she narrowly escaped after the recent Russian invasion.”
She has been in the states for 2 years.
“The bridge that we were driving on was bombed 12 hours before we drove on it.”
The years she has had to be careful about vocally supporting Ukraine, which she says would get her and her family arrested.
However, when she was 12, she turned down opportunities to sing for injured Russian soldiers.
“I knew what the country is going through and I was not willing to stand on the other side and tell and listen to the lies that they were telling me.”
Groups like Indivisible Action Pinellas organized the rally to show support for Ukrainians like Evangeline.
And Jennifer Young called Congress member Anna Polina Luna into accountability after Luna supported Trump’s decision to pause aid to Ukraine.
“We have an opportunity to engage in an open forum with you as our representative.”
From March 13th to March 23rd, there is a congressional recess during which their organizations are requesting the town hall.
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