It was around 6 pm in Lexington as the crowd took shape on the courthouse plaza. But 5,000 miles away...
"A seven-hour difference, therefore it's night there right now," a one-time Ukrainian refugee said in his native language with an English translator. "So the Russians are bombing the cities right now as the people try to sleep."
A sobering reminder from an American who once fled the Soviet Union of just how different the scenes playing out on a pleasant March night in downtown Lexington are from those in a country fighting for its very survival.
With hundreds looking on, some draped in Ukrainian flags and others waving signs, Mayor Linda Gorton said Ukraine has shown a resolve that should make all of us reflect on what we would do in their shoes.
"So many of us don't exactly know how we would react if a massive army started marching toward our city, but I would hope we would do the same."Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton
With City Center lit in the Ukrainian colors in the backdrop, the crowd heard heart-wrenching reminders of the stark choices facing Ukrainians, along with prayers for the safety and survival of the nation. Despite the violence unfolding, several speakers still sounded a hopeful note — with one adding, "There are still skies in Ukraine."
