Aug 26

Aug 26 Unbreakable Nation

Chicago, Demonstrations, Flowers, Parades, Protest, Public Declarations

“And I knew (I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew)
She could make me happy (happy, happy)
Flowers in her hair, flowers everywhere

I love the flower girl
Oh, I don’t know just why
She simply caught my eye”

— Cowsills, (The Flower Girl) The Park The Rain & Other Things (1967)

Ukraine officially celebrated its 32nd Independence Day on August 24, but Chicago’s Ukrainian community decided to defer the celebration until today, when presumably a lot more people would be available to once against show solidarity against the Russian invaders. In view of the turnout for the march, which began at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive, the community’s leadership made the right call.

As the group marched up Michigan Avenue, the line of demonstrators covered at least seven or eight blocks. Although somewhat of a guess, my best estimate is that at least 1,500 people participated, with that number more likely equaling or exceeding 2,000. Even when the group congregated for the last 90 minutes along the river, there were actually several clusters, which made estimates difficult. One large group stood at river level, while another stood on the ramps leading to the river walk, and still others lined the overlooks on Wacker Drive and Franklin.

Over the last 18 months each Ukrainian demonstration has had a theme—Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons, Holodomor, the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, Putin’s assorted war crimes, and the war’s one-year anniversary. Those events and themes were once again visible on today’s signage. But the overriding message today was, “Thank you U.S.A.,” a phrase which could be heard again and again as the marchers proceeded over the cement and asphalt.

If there was a theatrical element, it was the flower girls—the Ukrainian women dressed in elegant traditional Ukrainian embroidered garb, carrying bunches of the sunflowers that they had carefully assembled while waiting in Grant Park for the march to begin. Tied to each sunflower was a label that read, “Thank you for supporting us.” As they marched up Michigan Avenue, the woman handed flowers to onlookers, including a member of the Chicago Police Department and a busker in front of the Art Institute.

While I did hear the “Thank You” chant, the flower girls had not so gently implanted an ear worm in my brain: It’s 1967; Top 40 radio still reigns supreme; and the first couple of lines from the Cowsills The Flower Girl repeatedly cycled through my consciousness. A guilty pleasure if there ever was one.

There were several other nice touches. First, I was overwhelmed when I encountered several Ukrainian war veterans, including one who sat in a wheelchair, still burdened by his wounds. Second, several Boy Scouts from Ukraine were present. They were more men than boys, so I wondered whether they would eventually return to Ukraine to take up arms.

Third, there were the kids who were impish one minute, running under the large flags that were held parallel to the ground by groups of marchers but who snapped to attention on cue, robustly singing a patriotic song. It is quite apparent that members of the Ukrainian community place a high value on family. The parents don’t bring their kids because they can’t find a sitter, but rather because they want their kids to learn about and value their heritage.

Fourth, the Ukrainian ‘K-Pop All Stars’ were great fun—my designation by the way. Six girls and one boy performed twice, with a costume change in between. Orange became black. While BTS most likely will still reign supreme when they return from their current hiatus for military duty, the Ukrainian kids offered up polished dance routines and vocalese. Next year, this group may want to enter the K-Pop contest held each summer in Chinatown.

Several adults also performed for an adoring crowd. I particularly enjoyed the last number of the day, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. All the performers joined in, including the K-Poppers and the excellent acoustic guitarist I’ve heard at earlier demonstrations.

Of course, no demonstration would be complete without some serious talk. Congressman Mike Quigley, who is a strong and steady ally to the Ukrainian Community, kicked the march off with brief opening remarks. I don’t recall his exact words, but he called for a change in everyone’s outlook. Up until today, people have been saying, “As long as it takes.” According to Quigley, it is time to start taking the necessary action to end the war on Ukraine’s terms, ands to do so now. As a seasoned politician, Quigley knows how to end with an applause line.

While standing on the riverfront, those gathered heard from: (i) Ihor Diaczun, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America--Illinois Division; (ii) Borys Bazylevskyi, the Consul General of the Chicago Consulate General of Ukraine; (iii) Liliia Popovych, one of the driving forces behind many of the demonstrations that I have photographed; (iv) a representative of the Belarusian community; and (v) one unidentified woman. Diaczun once again thanked the United States for its support, but also pleaded for more advanced weaponry, including F16 fighter jets.

The event wrapped at 6:30 PM, just in time for a night out. I asked several people where everyone was going for dinner, but there apparently wasn’t an organized afterparty—or maybe I didn’t know the secret handshake.

The demonstration was largely a smashing success, but there was one disappointment. I had expected to see lots of signage referring to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s demise. Maybe even a group of pallbearers carrying his coffin. Surprisingly, there was not a single reference (or tear) for the head of the Wagner group who was blown out of the sky last week, as one rat turned on another one.

Post Script: The media was largely absent. There was a lone television cameraman at Ida B. Wells drive. I saw no photographers from the local newspapers. Of course, I could have missed members of the media, but I have yet to see any reports about the march on television or on the web. It seems that after 18 months, the war in Ukraine no longer garner’s the attention of assignment desks. This complacency poses a challenge for Chicago’s Ukrainian community, particularly as some Republicans continue to question financial support for the Ukrainian war effort.

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