A proclamation in support of the Ukrainian people and condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Wonderful. Thank you so much. And thank you, Councilmember Sandoval, for bringing attention to this really important topic. And I'm glad we're closing out March, making sure that we're showing our support and advocacy. Thank you. Next up, we have Councilmember Flynn. Would you please read Proclamation 20 to Dash 338 for us? Yes. Thank you, Madam President. The proclamation number 22, dash 0338. In support of the Ukrainian people and condemning the Russian war on Ukraine. Whereas Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991 and was recognized by the United States as a sovereign nation on December 25, 1991. And. Whereas, in 2014, the Russian Federation invaded and annexing Crimea and invaded part of Donbas areas of sovereign Ukraine. And. WHEREAS, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk. And. WHEREAS, under orders from Vladimir Putin. Russia began amassing troops and military equipment near Ukraine's borders in 2021. And on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full scale war on Ukraine, resulting in widespread civilian suffering. And loss of life. And. WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the United Nations on February 28 condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine by a vote of 141 to 5, with 35 nations abstaining. And. Whereas, Russia continues to attack Ukraine, committing war crimes through targeting of civilians, creating a humanitarian crisis by forcing 10 million Ukrainians to leave their homes. And. WHEREAS, the Russian government is engaged in large scale media censorship. And a propaganda campaign campaign to obfuscate the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Russian battlefield losses. And whereas, Russia continues to attack civilian targets, including including daycare centers, facilities, prisons, hospitals, apartment buildings and a shopping center. And. WHEREAS, more than 100,000 people remain at risk in the besieged city of Mariupol, where food and water remain scarce. And. WHEREAS, Russian troops have abducted and killed international journalists in violation of the Geneva Convention. And. Whereas, municipal mayors and city leaders are being targeted and kidnaped by Russian troops, further terrorizing communities, interfering with basic services and undermining democracy and even the most basic local levels. And. Whereas, Russia has attacked civilian protesters in Kherson and zappers gear. And. Whereas, according to the United Nations, 1104 civilians have been killed with another 1754 injured as of this past weekend. And more than 4 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee as refugees to other countries. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council of the City and County of Denver. Section one. The Denver City Council supports the independence of the Ukrainian people and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Section two. The Denver City Council condemns the unilateral invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine by Russia at the direction of Vladimir Putin. Section three. The Denver City Council recognizes the plight of Ukrainian refugees and supports the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugee relief organizations and all countries welcoming the influx of refugees. Section four that the Clerk of the city and County of Denver shall attest and affixed to seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and transmitted to Oksana makarova. Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States. Ukrainian National Women's League of America. Branch number 38 in Denver. And Martina. Marina Dubravka of the Ukrainians of Colorado. Thank you. Councilmember Flynn, your motion to adopt this evening. I move the proclamation 20 2-0338 be adopted. Thank you. We've got it moved and seconded comments by members of council. Councilmember Flynn. Thank you, Madam President. In times like this. When the attention of the world and the anxiety of people all over the world is focused on the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Europe caused by a war of choice. It prompts us all. Or it should. To reflect on our interconnectedness. With everyone in the world. We come from all over the world. My wife, Harriet, is a second generation American. Her mom's parents were born and her mom's grandparents were born in Finland, but her dad's parents both were born her her dad, grandpa, her grandparents I'm sorry, her dad's parents both were born in what was at the time around the turn of the century, the late 1800s was the Principality of Galicia. Which is now part of it is in western Ukraine. And part of it is in eastern Poland. It is exactly ground zero. Where much of this fighting is taking place. And she is said to be several times. Watching the news over the last month. That is, without doubt, some of her relatives. Our refugees right now. Some of her blood relations. Some may have been killed. Peace. According to the great Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, peace is not only better than war. But infinitely more arduous. We are all at a distance here, at least at a loss. As to what we can do. In this crisis. Abraham Lincoln once predicted in a famous speech. That quote, the world will little note nor long remember what we say here. He was famously wrong, of course, when he said that at Gettysburg during another war. But I am certain that he is correct when he says that about what we're saying here this evening. I am fairly certain that President Putin of Russia will never even hear of the words that we are voting on tonight. I have no illusion about that. However, it was back in the early sixties that MIT mathematician Edward Lorenz developed the chaos theory, popularly known as the Butterfly Effect, which says that even the gentlest fluttering of a butterfly swings in China. Could eventually contribute to a convergence of events that result in a tornado in the Midwest of the United States. So with that in mind, I ask the 13 butterflies up here to flutter our wings. And express outrage. And what is happening in Ukraine. And to urge others to join in and do what they can in the cause of peace. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Councilmember Flynn, Councilmember Black. Thank you, Councilman Flynn, for writing that proclamation and for your really beautiful remarks that you just read. It does matter that we're all here standing up with Ukraine. I agree with you about the butterfly effect. People all over our country want to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and it does matter. President Zelensky last week gave a speech and he implored people across the world to stand against this war coming in, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life. Come to your squares, to your streets. Make yourselves visible. And her heard. The world must stop this war. So on Sunday, most councilmen join me in hosting a Ukrainian solidarity event at Baby R Park. A special thank you to council members Gilmore, Ortega, Cashman, Flynn and Clark for joining us there. We had Ukrainians in Colorado there and a number of other organizations. It was a very, very special event filled with prayer and solidarity. And it was held at Baby R Park, which is in my district. It is a very special park. It's a memorial of the Nazi massacre of 200,000 Jews and Ukrainians who were murdered at the Babi Yar Ravine in Kiev, Ukraine, during World War Two. The park honors the victims of that massacre, but it also sends a message to all of us that we cannot stand by and remain silent and allow these crimes against humanity to happen, these crimes against our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. So that is why we are here with our butterfly wings, hoping that, you know, that we stand with you. And if there's anything we can do, we will. And we do have our Ukrainians of Colorado representatives here today, and they do have weekly events and fundraising opportunities and volunteering opportunities. And I'm going to ask all council members to share those on their social media networks so we can get more support for them. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Black, Councilmember Hines. Thank you. Council President. I recognize Councilmember Flynn's point about how President Putin might not care about what we do. It is important for us to make a statement. And and I think it is important for my constituents to feel very strongly about this, rightfully so. So while he may not know of our proclamation, I believe, as the butterfly effect, I also believe it is important for us to be intentional in our values. And I see that we're doing that today. I also want to point out that the United Nations 141 of the United Nations member states, 141 countries, voted to denounce Russia for its invasion. And there has not been that much unity in the United Nations over something that might theoretically be controversial in quite some time. I also want to mention that the governor Polis has has said that Colorado will welcome the Ukrainian refugees, and I certainly think that Denver will do its part as well. So I want to thank the governor for for that statement and his continued statements denouncing Russia and supporting Ukraine. And. Thank you. Council president. Thank you. Councilmember Hines and I want to thank Councilmember Flynn for bringing this proclamation forward, to think of allowing us to weigh in and add some items to it. And then Councilmember Black for your organization and wonderful hosting on Sunday of a very solemn and important event for us to never forget what has happened previously and then recognize what is happening and how history is repeating itself, unfortunately, in different ways. And so thank you for all of your work on that and happy to support it this evening. Madam Secretary, roll call can each. I. Sawyer. I. Flynn. I. Herndon High Cashman. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I. Torres I. Work. I. CdeBaca. I. Clerk. I. Madam President. I. Madam Secretary, please close the voting and announce the results. 13 Eyes. 13 Eyes Proclamation 20 2-3 38 has been adopted. Council Member Flynn We have 5 minutes for the proclamation. Acceptance of you. Go ahead and introduce the folks that will accept it this evening. Thank you, Madam President. We have here in the chamber tonight Marina Dubravka of the Ukrainians of Colorado. And she is and I invite her to bring up I think I see Mark Dillon back there and come up to the microphone and you have 5 minutes for remarks. It's so nice to see familiar faces. I would like to start with. Great gratitude to Congresswoman Sandra Bullock and Congressman Kevin Flynn to for inviting us here. And. Making this this proclamation. That's. It's very it's very emotional. And I know that. Putin may not hear this proclamation, but butterfly effect will go through the Internet waves, and I'm pretty sure it will reach him at some point. If not, then Ukrainian soldiers will remind him every time, every day, every second, what the freedom means and democracy and fighting for that. That in the 21st century, on the middle of the Europe, civilized nations are facing right now huge wave of refugees from Ukraine and. The genocide. In the middle of the Europe in Mariupol on. Donbass area. Kiev area. Just you name it. It's endless. And that is. The most heartbreaking. The pain inside. Does not go away. Does not go away. And that's been. Over a month. Oh. So every one of us. Dealt with. Saving our families there and. France unique? Sure. Johanna. She's our president of. National. American League of Ukrainian Women. Yes, she actually her relative was in Mariupol and he was able to escape. I would like, you know, to share that experience. Hi. Yeah, I'm I'm actually the president of the Ukrainian National Women's League here in Denver. And my relative in Mariupol was a distant cousin, like a third cousin, but he happened to be a priest, a parish priest in Mariupol. So he stayed even when there were opportunities to leave because he felt committed to his congregation. But ah, he also had his two of his children with him and somehow, ultimately, after 12 days of being locked up with no water, electricity or food, they somehow managed to get out through one of the green corridors. And I honestly don't know if he's actually made it to Western Ukraine, where he is originally from. But I also do want to thank everyone for passing this proclamation. And I appreciate your energy and time that you put into this. Thank you. Madam President of the Council and members of the Council, I can really add to what a council man, a Flynn and council member, Black Ops said, as well as my colleagues, that we would prefer not to be standing here today. We would prefer to. Be leading much more ordinary lives. We would prefer that there was no need for a proclamation of this nature. We would prefer that there not have been 10 million displaced people in the center of Europe. We would prefer that. 4 million refugees had not had to cross into other countries for safety, including 2 million children. We would prefer all these things, but that was not our choice. Things were done. Things were done to people. People we have a connection to. We. Power with the deepest respect to this Council for taking the action and expressing the sentiments that I think stand not only for the people here assembled, but for many, many Denver rights, many Coloradans. About 20,000 are of Ukrainian heritage. Many, many more have traveled to Ukraine, have relatives in Ukraine. Have taught work that in Ukraine. It is a country. Not that much larger than Colorado, about the size of Texas. It is a country that has cherished democracy for 30 years and now has to defend it. If we stand with them, we are confident that they will be able to do so. Thank you. Thank you very much. And we appreciate you being here. And please know that we do understand that fragile democracy and that that's why it's so important that we uphold democracies throughout the world and support and that our love and support and prayers. But beyond that, the philanthropic and the donations of medical equipment, money that can go to help. And so, as Councilmember Black had alluded to, we'll make sure that each one of our council offices share that information out so that we make sure and maximize getting that help and support. And so please know that we're with you. We're in solidarity with you. And thank you for being here this evening.