beacons of light
City of Houston sites go blue and yellow in shining solidarity with Ukraine
Houstonians are actively showing support for the people of Ukraine; take the recent downtown mural and new website. Now, Mayor Sylvester Turner has asked the city to light it up in solidarity with the besieged nation.
With more than 5,000 residents estimated to be from the country under attack from Russia, Turner has asked that selected city facilities and businesses be lit blue and yellow in a nod to Ukraine’s flag. Sites illuminated blue and yellow include George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Ellington Airport, Discovery Green, and the Montrose bridges.
“The City of Houston condemns the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and stands with the people of Ukraine against the ongoing violence,” Turner noted in a statement. “Our global system is built on the principle of the sovereignty of nation-states — a principle violated by Russia that has damaged our entire concept of international peace. In Houston, we stand for freedom, democracy, and the safety and security of all our residents. We join with cities and countries around the world calling for an immediate end to the violence, to protect human rights, and for the return of peace in Europe.”
With President Joe Biden expected to address the nation during his first State of the Union address on March 1, Turner may ask for even more facilities to shine the colors.
“Symbolic of our solidarity with the Ukrainian people in Houston, in Ukraine, and around the world,” he added, “those that can throughout our city will light their buildings blue and yellow.”
