Washington, Apr 19 (EFE).- For more than a year, Robert Harvey has spent his afternoons in Lafayette Square, in front of the White House gate, holding a stick with two flags and two messages: Ukraine’s, so that Do not forget the conflict, and that of the United States, to give thanks for the support and ask the Government of Joe Biden not to stop doing so.
“I come here every day because hundreds of members of the Ukrainian community ask me to stay here. I am here because not all the people who would like to be can, so I will try to be as long as I can,” the young American told Efe.
Since a few days after the war broke out (February 24, 2022), every afternoon Harvey spends “two or three hours” demonstrating in front of Biden’s official residence, one of the most touristy places in the US capital, with a sign that says “Ukraine is resisting for the world. You resist for Ukraine” and another that adds up the days of the conflict.
Sometimes he is silent except when people approach him to chat, and sometimes he uses a megaphone “to thank the United States for its assistance to Ukraine” because its help “has saved tens of thousands of lives” and “must continue.”
His idea came about after the local Ukrainian community began demonstrating in front of the White House in February 2022 to ask the United States to do something. He arrived a few days later and no longer wanted to stop.
At 32, he considers himself a “young progressive” and although he had participated in other protests, it is the first time that he has become “a kind of leader” because he is “the only person who is here every day,” he says.
He chose to exhibit himself in one of the busiest places in the city -which also has several permanent protesters, already converted into an icon of the city- in order to reach the largest number of people.
“This is often the walking route for a lot of people (…) and a lot of students, tour groups, and people from all over the United States come,” he explains. People whom he encourages to “write to their political representatives to ask them to continue their support for Ukraine.”
The United States is the country in the world that sends the most aid to Ukraine and this has aroused critical voices from the Republican Party, which are calling for the reduction or even the end of assistance to the Ukrainian government.
In his afternoons in Lafayette, in front of the equestrian statue of former President Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), Harvey spends many days alone, but others are accompanied by various people close to the Ukrainian community.
On the afternoon this interview takes place, he is with four other people, including Yuri Deychakiwsky, an American cardiologist whose parents emigrated from Ukraine as World War II refugees.
“My father was a member of the Ukrainian underground, and he was a courier in Europe, working behind German lines. He was arrested by the Gestapo and almost tortured to death, but he survived and since he could not return to Ukraine, he finished his medical studies in Germany and emigrated to the United States”, he told Efe.
His mother was then a teenager and spent a lot of time in refugee camps in Germany, before emigrating to the United States as well.
“As a family, we have been very involved all our lives, defending human rights and the right of Ukraine to regain its independence,” he explained to Efe.
Among other things, Deychakiwsky is on the board of directors of the United Health Ukraine charitable foundation and, whenever he can, he goes to Lafayette Square to accompany Harvey.
“I rarely come for my work but when I can I escape from the hospital. We have Robert to thank that he is here every day. He is our hero and we are very grateful for his unconditional support”, he affirms.
The Russian Olga Petrova also attended the square that afternoon, who says that she is for all those Russians who cannot freely show their opposition to the war.
“My country launched the war and as a true patriot of my country and as a sane person, I oppose it to the depths of my soul,” he told Efe.
A resident of the United States for several years, he assures that before he used to return to Russia every year to visit his family but now he refuses to do so.
“Since February of last year, I don’t do that anymore because I oppose the war and I’m afraid to go back and get arrested or my parents get in trouble. And I’m not going either because I don’t want to do anything that involves spending money in the country, ”she says.
