Pray for Ukraine Rally happens at the Idaho State Capitol

BOISE (KIVI) — A couple of hundred people showed up at the Idaho State Capitol Saturday to stand in solidarity and pray for Ukraine.

The Pray for Ukraine Rally brought together people from Ukraine, Americans with Ukrainian roots and Idahoans.

“My whole family is there — my dad, my mom and my grandparents, who went through Socialism, Communism, Hitler, Gorbachev –all of that, and now they are crying,” said event organizer Julia Marten, who started crying after saying this. “They don’t want to see this war.”

Marten told us two of her cousins who are fighting for Ukraine, one a doctor and another of her cousins joined the fight this morning.

“It feels like a nightmare. I feel like I will wake up and it will be just a dream,” said Marten. “They are holding this fight but let me tell you, they are not fighting for Ukraine. Everybody needs to hear and understand. The Ukrainians right now are fighting for Europe and maybe the world.”

The rally had dozens of Ukrainian flags and people made signs to voice their support against this war and the actions taken by Vladimir Putin.

“No war is a good war and we are all coming out here in whatever capacity we can to pray for Ukraine and don’t stop just praying for Ukraine, pray for Russia too,” said Alex Kuzmenko.

Marten told us she put together this rally because several Ukrainians live in Boise without their relatives so she wanted to do something to bring everybody together.

“When I registered for the event, I registered for 35 people. I had no idea so many were coming so I’m glad,” said Marten.

Marten and a bunch of signs called for NATO to cover the skies for Ukraine and do more to help Ukraine in this fight.