Madison community rallies in solidarity to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine

CREECA affiliates–from students to Wisconsin Russia Project postdoctoral scholars to university faculty and staff–have been gathering to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine and show support for the people of Ukraine.

A student-led protest took place on February 24 at the top of Bascom Hill and was covered by several news outlets:

“‘Absolutely inhumane’: Russian, Ukrainian students at UW-Madison protest Putin’s invasion of Ukraine” – Wisconsin Public Radio
“Protestors gather on Bascom to protest Russian invasion of Ukraine” – The Daily Cardinal
“Russian invasion shocks, worries Ukrainians in Madison” – Wisconsin State Journal
“Russian and Ukrainian Students Protest Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine” – UW-Madison Department of Sociology

Yulia Khalikova (left), a postdoctoral student who is originally from Russia, gathers with other UW-Madison students to protest Russia’s attack on Ukraine outside Bascom Hall on Thursday. Diane Bezucha/WPR

Following the February 24 rally, CREECA director Ted Gerber moderated an open discussion among UW-Madison community members and faculty members who made introductory remarks on the assault on Ukraine. Faculty, staff, and students then proceeded to ask questions, air their views, and process the events of the past 24 hours together.

UW-Madison community members gather for an open discussion following the student-led protest on Bascom Hill against Russia’s war on Ukraine. Pictured on stage (left to right): moderator and CREECA director Ted Gerber, Wisconsin Russia Project postdoctoral scholar Marat Iliyasov, CREECA faculty members Francine Hirsch, Andrew Kydd, and Yoshiko Herrera.

And at protests on February 26 and March 5, hundreds of individuals condemned Putin’s war on Ukraine and stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian people at the Wisconsin state Capitol in downtown Madison. Local news outlets also reported on the rallies and amplified the voices of individuals from the UW-Madison community with ties to Russia and Ukraine: