Tiburon, Novato announce solidarity with Ukraine

Tiburon and Novato plan to fly the Ukrainian flag over city-owned sites as a gesture of solidarity while the country is embroiled in war with Russia.

The Tiburon Town Council passed a resolution Wednesday affirming its support for Ukraine and its people, who are enduring an invasion that started last month.

Mayor Jon Welner and councilmembers Holli Thier and Noah Griffin voted for the resolution. Vice Mayor Jack Ryan and Councilmember Alice Fredericks abstained from the vote.

The resolution condemns the “unprovoked, unrestrained, and unconscionable military aggression from the Russian Federation” and celebrates the “spirit, resolve, strength, fierce defiance, and patriotism of the Ukrainian people.”

In supporting the resolution, Griffin alluded to Martin Luther King Jr., noting “a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He likened the Ukrainian fight to the civil rights movement, where he said outsiders were ostracized for showing support for the plight of the marginalized.

“There’s right and there’s wrong. We need to stand up for right wherever it is,” he said. “I think it’s very important we do what we can where we can to speak up against evil. And if this isn’t evil, I don’t know what is.”

Ryan called Russia President Vladimir Putin an “egomaniacal despot” and affirmed his support for Ukraine, but said the resolution was outside the purview of the council.

“I think, even though this is as close of a slam dunk that we’ll ever see in terms of geopolitical events, it just raises the question of what distance of geopolitical events we should weigh in on,” Ryan said. “I just feel it’s beyond the scope of what we should be doing.”

Welner requested that one section of the resolution be removed. The section said that “American-Ukrainian relations have long served as an example and a foundation for security, freedom, the development of democracy, and human rights in Eastern Europe and across the globe.”

Welner, while supporting the resolution, said he had “no basis to talk about the history of Ukrainian-American relations.”

Suzanne Creekmore, the town’s director of administrative services, said the Ukrainian flag will be displayed above the police department for 30 days. The town has not identified a date to raise the flag.

Tiburon is the only municipality in Marin County to pass a council resolution in support of Ukraine.

In Novato, the city released a statement on its social media accounts on Wednesday announcing support for the Ukrainian people and community members who have family or friends in the region.

“We are profoundly troubled by the news and images from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and we are horrified at the loss of life and displacement of Ukrainians,” the statement said. “As this situation continues to unfold, we want to encourage community members to support their neighbors with ties to Ukraine and Russia who may need help.”

The city also said it would display the Ukrainian flag for 30 days on the Community House at the corner of Grant and Machin avenues.

San Rafael City Clerk Lindsay Lara said Mayor Kate Colin and other councilmembers made remarks in support during the council meeting on March 7, but no resolution was passed.

Officials in Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross and Mill Valley said no resolutions were made in their respective municipalities.