Catholics came out Sunday in strong show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine on the streets of Brooklyn.

“It’s very dangerous what Russia is doing to our people,” said Lioudviga Roliouk who immigrated from Ukraine to the United States 26 years ago. “Ukraine is everything to me. It’s everything to me. It’s my house, it’s my country. I love it with all my heart.”

Roliouk stood hand-in-hand with more than 100 fellow Ukrainians and members of the Lithuanian community in Williamsburg on Sunday. Together they formed a human chain stretching three blocks from Annunciation Church to Church of the Holy Ghost.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 100 Ukrainians, Lithuanians and churchgoers formed a human chain stretching three blocks in Brooklyn Sunday

  • This event was inspired by a massive protest in 1989 when two million citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania formed a human chain across the three nations calling for their independence

  • Since the war broke out on Feb. 24, the United Nations says more than 5,000 Ukrainians have been killed and another 7,000 injured

“We support Ukraine and bring to the attention of the American people that the war is still going on in Ukraine and we need support and we need more action,” said Ivan Glova, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine 20 years ago.

This event was inspired by a massive protest in 1989 when two million citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania formed a human chain across the three nations calling for their independence.

“I thought once the end of the Soviet Union happened, we’d never have to do this again, but here we are,” said Jonas Jankauskas, whose family is from Lithuania. “I was very young when all this happened last time and it’s a shame that we have to do it again butt it’s happening again, but it is and you must show support.”

Air horns went off Sunday morning to mark the beginning of a moment of silence for the Ukrainian people, followed by the ringing of church bells.

Organizers held this event to commemorate Ukrainian Independence Day, which was on August 24th. Participants say they want to ensure this movement does not lose momentum by reminding the world the war is not over.

“We as New Yorkers, we as Americans tend to get very callous very quickly to things that don’t affect our day-to-day lives,” said Jankauskas. “This is to just let people know that if we let this continue, if we let Putin win, he’s not going to stop.”

Since the war broke out on Feb. 24, the United Nations says over 5,000 Ukrainians have been killed and another 7,000 injured. But the UN estimates the number of casualties are much higher than reported.