Hundreds gather at Boston Common to show support for Ukraine

Hundreds of people marched to the Boston Common Sunday to rally in support of Ukraine amid wobbly American supporton the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

“Ukraine didn’t give up three years ago and didn’t give up now,” said Anton Khlebas, co-founder of the Ukraine Cultural Center of New England and an organizer of the rally. “We want to show everyone [that] the struggle of Ukraine is continuing.”

Born and raised in Ukraine, Khlebas moved to Boston in 2017 after being stationed in San Diego while serving in theUnited States Navy.

The rally started at the Boston Public Library at 1 p.m., and demonstrators marched to the Parkman Bandstand, carrying Ukrainian flags, symbols, and posters, Ukrainian Boston posted on social media.

At 2 p.m., demonstrators along with religious and political leaders, including Representative Jake Auchincloss, gathered at Parkman Bandstand.

The rally comes after President Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was elected in 2019 and legally postponed elections in 2024 due to the current state of martial law in the country, “a dictator without elections.”

At the Boston Common on Sunday, Max Grozovsky, a PhD student in economics at Brown University, took the train from Providence to participate in the rally.

“We can not abandon Ukraine and surrender to Russia, the aggressor,” Grozovsky said.

Khlebas, the event organizer, said he appreciated the hundreds who came out to mark the three-year anniversary.

“We need to send a message that we can’t surrender,” Khlebas said.