Protesters confront San Francisco audience attending show by comedian who appears on Russian TV
Protesters accuse the comedian of indirectly supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As the war in Ukraine continues, Ukrainians in San Francisco protested against a comedian who appears on a Russian television channel and is on tour in the U.S.
Tensions ran high as protesters confronted the audience of comedian Nurlan Saburov, many shouting "Shame, Shame."
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"Stop the show of Vladimir Putin's comedian. How we call him now. His name is Nurlan Saburov. He is actually a comic from Kazakhstan. He works on the Russian TV," said Sviatoslava Dlukhova, protester from Russia.
Protesters covered the sidewalk of the San Francisco Scottish Rite Masonic Center with signs and dolls covered in red paint signifying all the people killed during the war.
"My hands are tied and covered in blood like the hands of a lot of people in Ukraine who are found dead now," said Anastasiia Myers, protester from Ukraine.
On Monday, the mayor of Mariupol in Ukraine said more than 10,000 civilians have been killed as Russian forces attack their city.
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Yuliaa Ivanova's parents are in Ukraine. She is urging the comedian to speak against the war and use his influence to stand with Ukraine.
"In my opinion, silence is a crime," said Yuliaa Ivanova, protester from Ukraine.
Ivanova showed us pictures of the destruction in her neighborhood in western Ukraine. She says every day she fears for her family.
"Every day Ukrainian who have friends and relatives. We just pray and hope," said Ivanova.
Some of the audience members said Sabarov came to the U.S to work and not to speak about the war.
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"He came here to make us laugh that is totally fine," said Ross Kichko.
"He is not supporting anything that is going on over there. He did not say any word. He did not say 'I came here to make money so let's say Russia can have more money.' He came here to work," said Sergey Dyakov.
Protesters accuse the comedian of indirectly supporting the war.
"He pays taxes there and by paying taxes there you support the war," said Yuliaa Ivanova.
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