SHREWSBURY – The Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge in Shrewsbury shone in blue and yellow on Friday night as a sign of support for Ukraine, where fighting has continued following Russia’s invasion this past week.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced plans for the display on Friday afternoon, coordinating similar lightings elsewhere in the state.
Legislators condemn attack
Russian troops moved into Ukraine on Thursday after weeks of growing tensions around a military buildup on the country’s borders.
The attack quickly drew condemnation from federal, state and local figures.
“[Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s actions are that of a rogue, power-hungry dictator,” US Rep. Lori Trahan wrote in a statement on Twitter on Friday. “He wants to resurrect the glory days of the Soviet Union – no matter the cost.”
Trahan, whose district includes Marlborough and Hudson said a separate statement on Thursday that “Putin and his enablers must pay a heavy price for their unjustified aggression.”
Trahan’s congressional colleague, Rep. Jim McGovern, said on Twitter that he was “praying for peace and for the safety of the Ukrainian people at this uncertain moment.”
“We and the world community must stand together, demand an end to violence and aggression, and prepare humanitarian relief efforts for the Ukrainian people and refugees,” McGovern said.
Local communities react
Locally, community members have noted the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in a variety of ways.
In Hudson, the Firefighters Local 1713 Facebook page shared photos of Ukrainian firefighters beating back flames in a badly-damaged residential building.
“Ukrainian firefighters still working in a war zone,” the group wrote.
In Westborough, at least one local business had hung a Ukrainian flag in its window as of Friday afternoon.
Back in Shrewsbury, for at least one night, this lighting of the Burns Bridge spread those same Ukrainian colors across the water of Lake Quinsigamond.
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