Français | English

Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières

    • Issues
      • Health (Issues)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Issues)
          • AIDS / HIV (Health)
          • Dengue (epidemics, health)
          • Monkeypox (epidemics, health)
          • Poliomyelitis (epidemics, health)
          • Tuberculosis (epidemics, health)
        • Tobacco (health)
      • Individuals
        • Alain Krivine
        • Amilcar Cabral
          • Miguel “Moro” Romero
        • Antonio Gramsci
        • Baghat Singh
        • bell hooks (En)
        • Benedict Anderson
        • C.L.R. James
        • Che Guevara
          • Che Guevara (obituary)
        • Clara Zetkin
        • Claude Jacquin, Claude Gabriel
        • Daniel Bensaïd
          • Daniel Bensaïd (obituary)
        • David Graeber
        • David Rousset
        • David Sanders
        • Diego Maradona
        • Ellen Meiksins Wood
        • Enzo Traverso
        • Eric Hobsbawm
        • Erik Olin Wright
        • Ernest (‘Ernie’) Tate
        • Ernest Mandel
        • Fernando Cardenal
        • Fidel Castro
        • Franz Fanon
        • Franz Kafka
        • Gabriel Kolko
        • Gérard Chaouat
        • Gisèle Halimi
        • Görgy Lukács
        • Henk Sneevliet
        • Herbert Marcuse
        • Hugo Blanco
        • Immanuel Wallerstein
        • István Mészáros
        • James Cockcroft
        • James Connolly
        • John Lewis
        • Kai Nielsen
        • Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
        • Ken Post
        • Lal Khan
        • Larry Kramer
        • Lenin
        • Leo Panitch
        • Leon Trotsky
          • Leon Trotsky (obituary)
        • Livio Maitan
        • Louis Althusser
        • Maarten van Dullemen
        • Mahdi Amel / Hassan Hamdan
        • Malcolm X
        • Marielle Franco
        • Marshall Berman
        • Marta Harnecker
        • Martin Luther King
        • Michael Löwy
        • Michel Husson
        • Michel Lequenne
        • Mick Gosling
        • MN Roy
        • Nawal El-Saadawi
        • Neil Davidson
        • Neil Faulkner
        • Nelson Mandela
        • Norman Geras
        • Orlando Gutiérrez
        • Patrice Lumumba
        • Paul Levi
        • Peter Gowan
        • Peter Waterman
        • Petr Uhl
        • Pierre Beaudet
        • Pierre Granet
        • Randolf “Randy” S. David
        • Richard Wright
        • Roland Lew
        • Rosa Luxemburg
          • Rosa Luxemburg (obituary)
        • Rosario Ibarra
        • Rossana Rossanda
        • Samir Amin
        • Sergio D’Amia
        • Sheila Rowbotham
        • Stuart & Brenda Christie
        • Sultan Galiev
        • Sylvia Pankhurst
        • Tan Malaka
        • Troglo – José Ramón Castaños Umaran
        • Victor Serge
        • Walter Benjamin
        • WANG Fanxi / Wang Fan-hsi
      • Solidarity
        • Solidarity: ESSF campaigns
          • ESSF financial solidarity – Global balance sheets
          • Funds (ESSF)
          • Global Appeals
          • Bangladesh (ESSF)
          • Burma, Myanmar (ESSF)
          • Indonesia (ESSF)
          • Japan (ESSF)
          • Malaysia (ESSF)
          • Nepal (ESSF)
          • Pakistan (ESSF)
          • Philippines (ESSF)
        • Solidarity: Geo-politics of Humanitarian Relief
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian and development CSOs
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian Disasters
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian response: methodologies and principles
        • Solidarity: Internationalism
          • Solidarity: Pandemics, epidemics (health, internationalism)
        • Solidarity: Political economy of disaster
      • Capitalism & globalisation
        • History (Capitalism)
      • Civilisation & identities
        • Civilisation & Identities: unity, equality
      • Ecology (Theory)
        • Animals’ Condition (Ecology)
        • Biodiversity (Ecology)
        • Climate (Ecology)
        • Commodity (Ecology)
        • Ecology, technology: Transport
        • Energy (Ecology)
        • Energy (nuclear) (Ecology)
          • Chernobyl (Ecology)
        • Forests (ecology)
        • Technology (Ecology)
        • Water (Ecology)
      • Agriculture
        • GMO & co. (Agriculture)
      • Commons
      • Communication and politics, Media, Social Networks
      • Culture and Politics
      • Democracy
      • Development
        • Demography (Development)
        • Extractivism (Development)
        • Growth and Degrowth (Development)
      • Education (Theory)
      • Faith, religious authorities, secularism
        • Family, women (Religion, churches, secularism)
          • Religion, churches, secularism: Reproductive rights
        • Abused Children (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Blasphemy (Faith, religious authorities, secularism)
        • Creationism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • History (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • LGBT+ (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Marxism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Political Islam, Islamism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Secularism
        • The veil (faith, religious authorities, secularism)
      • Fascism
      • Gender: Women
      • History
        • History: E. P. Thompson
      • Jewish Question
        • History (Jewish Question)
      • Labor & Social Movements
      • Language
      • Law
        • Exceptional powers (Law)
        • Religious arbitration forums (Law)
        • Women, family (Law)
      • LGBT+ (Theory)
      • Marxism & co.
        • Theory (Marxism & co.)
        • Postcolonial Studies / Postcolonialism (Marxism & co.)
        • Identity Politics (Marxism & co.)
        • Intersectionality (Marxism & co.)
        • Africa (Marxism)
        • France (Marxism)
      • National Question
      • Oceans (Issues)
      • Parties: Theory and Conceptions
      • Patriarchy, family, feminism
        • Ecofeminism (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Fashion, cosmetic (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Feminism & capitalism (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Language (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Prostitution (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Reproductive Rights (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Violence against women (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Women and Health ( (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Women, work (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
      • Political Strategy
      • Politics: Bibliographies
      • Politics: International Institutions
      • Psychosociology and politics
      • Racism, xenophobia, differentialism
      • Science and politics
      • Sciences & Knowledge
        • Physics (science)
      • Sexuality
      • Social Formation, classes, political regime, ideology
        • Populism (Political regime, ideology)
      • Sport and politics
      • The role of the political
      • Transition: before imperialism
      • Transitional Societies (modern), socialism
      • Wars, conflicts, violences
      • Working Class, Wage labor, income, organizing
    • Movements
      • Analysis & Debates (Movements)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (Movements)
        • History of people’s movements (Movements)
      • Asia (Movements)
        • Globalization (Movements, Asia) (Movements)
        • APISC (Movements, Asia)
        • Asian Social Forum (Movements, Asia)
        • Asian Social Movements (Movements, Asia)
        • Counter-Summits (Movements, Asia)
        • Free Trade (Movements, Asia)
        • IIRE Manila (Movements, Asia)
        • In Asean (Movements, Asia)
        • People’s SAARC / SAAPE (Movements, Asia)
        • Social Protection Campaigns (Movements, Asia)
        • The Milk Tea Alliance
        • Women (Asia, movements)
      • World level (Movements)
        • Feminist Movements
          • Against Fundamentalisms (Feminist Movements)
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (Feminist Movements, health)
          • History of Women’s Movements
          • Rural, peasant (Feminist Movements)
          • World March of Women (Feminist Movements)
        • Asia-Europe People’s Forums (AEPF) (Movements)
        • Ecosocialist Networks (Movements, World)
        • Indignants (Movements)
        • Intercoll (Movements, World)
        • Internationals (socialist, communist, revolutionary) (Movements, (...)
          • International (Fourth) (Movements, World)
            • Women (Fourth International)
            • Youth (Fourth International)
          • International (Second) (1889-1914) (Movements, World)
          • International (Third) (Movements, World)
            • Baku Congress (1920)
            • Communist Cooperatives (Comintern)
            • Krestintern: Comintern’s Peasant International
            • Red Sport International (Sportintern) (Comintern)
            • The Communist Youth International (Comintern)
            • The Red International of Labour Unions (RILU) (Comintern)
            • The ‘International Workers Aid’ (IWA / MRP)
            • Women (Comintern)
        • Internet, Hacktivism (Movements, World)
        • Labor & TUs (Movements, World)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (TUs, international) (Movements, World)
        • Radical Left (Movements, World)
          • IIRE (Movements, World)
          • Movements: Sal Santen (obituary)
          • Radical Parties’ Network (Movements, World)
        • Social Movements Network (Movements, World)
        • World Days of Action (Movements)
        • World Social Forum (Movements)
      • Africa (Movements)
        • Forum of the People (Movements)
      • America (N&S) (Movements)
        • Latin America (Mouvments)
        • US Social Forum (Movements)
      • Europe (Movements)
        • Alter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Anti-Austerity/Debt NetworksAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Anti-G8/G20 in EuropeAlter Summit (Movements)
        • Counter-Summits to the EUAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Free TradeAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Movements: European Social Forum
      • Mediterranean (Movements, MEAN)
        • Mediterranean Social Forum (Movements)
        • Political Left (Movements, MEAN)
      • Agriculture & Peasantry (Movements)
        • Women (Movements, Peasantry)
      • Antiwar Struggles (Movements)
        • History of antimilitarism (Movements)
        • Military Bases (Movements)
        • Nuclear Weapon, WMD (Movements)
      • Common Goods & Environment (Movements)
        • Biodiversity (Movements)
        • Climate (Movements)
        • Ecosocialist International Networky (Movements)
        • Nuclear (energy) (Movements)
          • AEPF “No-Nuke” Circle (Movements)
        • Water (Movements)
      • Debt, taxes & Financial Institutions (Movements)
        • IMF (Movements)
        • World Bank (Movements)
      • Health (Movements)
        • Women’s Health (Movements)
        • Asbestos (Movements, health, World)
        • Drugs (Movements, health, World)
        • Epidemics (Movements, health, World)
        • Health & Work (Movements, health, World)
        • Health and social crisis (Movements, health, World)
        • Nuclear (Movements, health, World)
        • Pollution (Movements, health, World)
      • Human Rights & Freedoms (Movements, World)
        • Women’s Rights (Movements, HR)
        • Corporate HR violations (Movements, HR)
        • Disability (Movements, HR)
        • Exceptional Powers (Movements, HR)
        • Justice, law (Movements, HR)
        • Media, Internet (Movements, HR)
        • Non-State Actors (Movements, World)
        • Police, weapons (Movements, HR)
        • Rights of free meeting (Movements, HR)
        • Secret services (Movements, HR)
      • LGBT+ (Movements, World)
      • Parliamentary field (Movements, health, World)
      • Social Rights, Labor (Movements)
        • Reclaim People’s Dignity (Movements)
        • Urban Rights (Movements)
      • TNCs, Trade, WTO (Movements)
        • Cocoa value chain (Movements)
    • World
      • The world today (World)
      • Global Crisis (World)
      • Global health crises, pandemics (World)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (economic crisis, World)
      • Economy (World)
        • Financial and economic crisis (World)
          • Car industry, transport (World)
      • Extreme right, fascism, fundamentalism (World)
      • History (World)
      • Migrants, refugees (World)
      • Terrorism (World)
    • Africa
      • Africa Today
      • Environment (Africa)
      • Women (Africa)
      • Economy (Africa)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (Africa)
      • History (Africa)
      • Sahel Region
      • Angola
        • Angola: History
      • Burkina Faso
      • Cameroon
        • Cameroon: LGBT+
      • Central African Republic (CAR)
      • Chad
      • Congo Kinshasa (DRC)
      • Djibouti (Eng)
      • Eritrea
      • Ethiopia
      • Gambia
      • Ghana
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Ghana)
        • Ghana: LGBT+
      • Guinea (Conakry)
      • Ivory Coast
      • Kenya
        • Kenya: WSF 2007
      • Liberia
        • Liberia: LGBT+
      • Madagascar
      • Mali
        • Women (Mali)
        • History (Mali)
      • Mauritania
      • Mauritius
        • Women (Mauritius)
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • Niger
        • Niger: Nuclear
      • Nigeria
        • Women (Nigeria)
        • Pandemics, epidemics (health, Nigeria)
      • Réunion
      • Rwanda
      • Senegal
        • Women (Senegal)
      • Seychelles
      • Sierra Leone
        • Sierra Leone: LGBT+
      • Somalia
        • Women (Somalia)
      • South Africa
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South Africa)
        • On the Left (South Africa)
        • Women (South Africa)
        • Culture (South Africa)
        • Ecology, Environment (South Africa)
        • Economy (South Africa)
        • History (Freedom Struggle and first years of ANC government) (South (...)
        • Institutions, laws (South Africa)
        • Labour, community protests (South Africa)
          • Cosatu (South Africa)
          • SAFTU (South Africa)
        • Land reform and rural issues (South Africa)
        • Students (South Africa)
      • South Sudan
      • Sudan
        • Women (Sudan)
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
        • Uganda: LGBT
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Americas
      • Ecology (Latin America)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Latin America)
      • History (Latin America)
      • Indigenous People (Latin America)
      • Latin America (Latin America)
      • LGBT+ (Latin America)
      • Migrations (Latin America)
      • Women (Latin America)
      • Amazonia
      • Antilles / West Indies
      • Argentina
        • Economy (Argentina)
        • History (Argentina)
        • Women (Argentina)
          • Reproductive Rights (Women, Argentina)
      • Bahamas
        • Bahamas: Disasters
      • Bolivia
        • Women (Bolivia)
      • Brazil
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Brazil)
        • Women (Brazil)
        • Ecology (Brazil)
        • History (Brazil)
        • History of the Left (Brazil)
        • Indigenous People (Brazil)
        • Justice, freedoms (Brazil)
        • Labor (Brazil)
        • LGBT+ (Brazil)
        • Rural (Brazil)
        • World Cup, Olympics, social resistances (Brazil)
      • Canada & Quebec
        • Women (Canada & Quebec)
        • Ecology (Canada & Quebec)
        • Far Right / Extreme Right (Canada, Quebec)
        • Fundamentalism & secularism (Canada & Quebec)
        • Health (Canada & Québec)
          • Pandemics, epidemics (Health, Canada & Québec)
        • Indigenous People (Canada & Quebec)
        • LGBT+ (Canada & Quebec)
        • On the Left (Canada & Quebec)
      • Caribbean
      • Chile
        • Women (Chile)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Chile)
        • History (Chile)
        • LGBT+ (Chile)
        • Natural Disasters (Chile)
      • Colombia
        • Women (Colombia)
          • Reproductive Rights (Columbia)
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
        • Women, gender (Cuba)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Cuba)
        • History (Cuba)
          • Cuban Revolution (History)
        • LGBT+ (Cuba)
      • Ecuador
        • Women (Ecuador)
        • Ecology (Ecuador)
        • Humanitarian Disasters (Ecuador)
      • El Salvador
        • Women (El Salvador)
        • El Salvador: Salvadorian Revolution and Counter-Revolution
      • Grenada
      • Guatemala
        • Guatemala: History
        • Guatemala: Mining
        • Guatemala: Women
      • Guiana
      • Haiti
        • Women (Haiti)
        • Haiti: History
        • Haiti: Natural Disasters
      • Honduras
        • Women (Honduras)
        • Honduras: History
        • Honduras: LGBT+
      • Mexico
        • Women (Mexico)
        • Disasters (Mexico)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Mexico)
        • History of people struggles (Mexico)
      • Nicaragua
        • Women (Nicaragua)
        • Nicaragua: History
        • Nicaragua: Nicaraguan Revolution
      • Paraguay
        • Women (Paraguay)
      • Peru
      • Puerto Rico
        • Disasters (Puerto Rico)
      • Uruguay
        • Women (Uruguay)
      • USA
        • Women (USA)
          • History (Feminism, USA)
          • Reproductive Rights (Women, USA)
          • Violence (women, USA)
        • Disasters (USA)
        • Far Right, Religious Right (USA)
        • Health (USA)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, USA)
        • On the Left (USA)
          • History: SWP and before (USA)
        • Secularity, religion & politics
        • Social Struggles, labor (USA)
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Social struggles, USA)
        • Agriculture (USA)
        • Ecology (USA)
        • Economy, social (USA)
        • Education (USA)
        • Energy (USA)
        • Foreign Policy, Military (USA)
        • History (USA)
          • History of people’s struggles (USA)
        • Human Rights, justice (USA)
        • Human Rights: Guantanamo (USA)
        • Human Rights: Incarceration (USA)
        • Indian nations and indigenous groups (USA)
        • Institutions, political regime (USA)
        • LGBT+ (USA)
        • Migrant, refugee (USA)
        • Racism (USA)
          • Asians (racism, USA)
          • Blacks (racism, USA)
        • Violences (USA)
      • Venezuela
        • Women (Venezuela)
        • Ecology (Venezuela)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Venezuela)
    • Asia
      • Disasters (Asia)
      • Ecology (Asia)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Asia)
      • History
      • Women (Asia)
      • Asia (Central, ex-USSR)
        • Kazakhstan
        • Kyrgyzstan
          • Kyrgyzstan: Women
        • Tajikistan
        • Uzbekistan
      • Asia (East & North-East)
      • Asia (South, SAARC)
        • Ecology (South Asia)
          • Climate (ecology, South Asia)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South Asia)
        • LGBT+ (South Asia)
        • Religious fundamentalism
        • Women (South Asia)
      • Asia (Southeast, ASEAN)
        • Health (South East Asia, ASEAN)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South East Asia, ASEAN))
      • Asia economy & social
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Asia)
      • Economy (Asia)
      • On the Left (Asia)
      • Afghanistan
        • Women, patriarchy, sharia (Afghanistan)
        • History, society (Afghanistan)
        • On the Left (Afghanistan)
      • Bangladesh
        • Health (Bangladesh)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Bangladesh)
        • Ecological Disasters, climate (Bangladesh)
        • Fundamentalism & secularism (Bangladesh)
        • The Left (Bangladesh)
        • Women (Bangladesh)
        • Economy (Bangladesh)
        • History (Bangladesh)
        • Human Rights (Bangladesh)
        • Indigenous People (Bangladesh)
        • Labour (Bangladesh)
          • Industrial Disasters (Bangladesh)
        • LGBT+ (Bangladesh)
        • Nuclear (Bangladesh)
        • Rohingya (refugee, Bangladesh)
        • Rural & Fisherfolk (Bangladesh)
      • Bhutan
        • LGT+ (Bhutan)
      • Brunei
        • Women, LGBT+, Sharia, (Brunei)
      • Burma / Myanmar
        • Arakan / Rakine (Burma)
          • Rohingyas (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Buddhism / Sanga
        • CSOs (Burma / Mynamar)
        • Health (Burma / Myanmar)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Burma/Myanmar)
        • History (Burma/Myanmar)
          • History of struggles (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Labor (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Migrants (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Natural Disasters (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Women (Burma/Myanmar)
      • Cambodia
        • Women (Cambodia)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Cambodia)
        • History (Cambodia)
          • The Khmers rouges (Cambodia)
        • Labour / Labor (Cambodia)
        • Rural (Cambodia)
        • Urban (Cambodia)
      • China (PRC)
        • Health (China)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, China)
        • China Today
        • Gender equality and women’s movements (China)
        • Global Rise (China)
          • China & Japan
          • China & Latin America
          • China & North America
          • China & South Asia
          • China and Africa
          • China and Europe
            • China and the Russian War in Ukraine
          • China § Asia-Pacific
          • China, ASEAN and the South China Sea
          • China, Korea, & North-East Asia
          • Military expansion (China)
          • Silk Roads/OBOR/BRICS (China)
          • World Economy (China)
        • On the Left (China)
        • Political situation (China)
        • China § Xinjiang/East Turkestan
        • Civil Society (China)
        • Ecology and environmental struggles (China)
        • Economy, technology (China)
        • History (China)
          • Beijing Summer Olympic Games 2008
          • History pre-XXth Century (China)
          • History XXth Century (China)
          • History: Transition to capitalism (China)
        • Human Rights, freedoms (China)
        • Labour and social struggles (China)
        • LGBT+ (China)
        • Rural poverty and struggles (China)
        • Social Control, social credit (China)
        • Social Protection (China)
        • Sport and politics (China)
          • Beijing Olympic Games
      • China: Hong Kong SAR
        • Hong Kong: Epidemics, pandemics (health)
        • Hong Kong: LGBT+
        • Hong Kong: Migrants
      • China: Macao SAR
      • East Timor
        • East Timor: News Updates
      • India
        • Political situation (India)
        • Caste, Dalits & Adivasis (India)
          • Dalits & Other Backward Castes (OBC) (India)
        • Fundamentalism, communalism, extreme right, secularism (India)
        • Health (India)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, India)
        • North-East (India)
        • The Left (India)
          • Stan Swamy (India)
          • The Left: ML Updates (DISCONTINUED) (India)
          • Trupti Shah (obituary) (India)
        • Women (India)
        • Antiwar & nuclear (India)
        • Digital Rights (India)
        • Ecology & Industrial Disasters (India)
        • Economy & Globalisation (India)
        • Energy, nuclear (India)
        • History (up to 1947) (India)
          • Baghat Singh (India)
        • History after 1947 (India)
        • Human Rights & Freedoms (India)
        • International Relations (India)
        • Labor, wage earners, TUs (India)
        • LGBT+ (India)
        • Military (India)
        • Narmada (India)
        • Natural Disaster (India)
        • Refugees (India)
        • Regional Politics (South Asia) (India)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (India)
        • Social Forums (India)
        • Social Protection (India)
        • Urban (India)
      • Indonesia & West Papua
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Indonesia)
        • Papua (Indonesia)
          • Pandemics, epidemics (health, West Papua)
        • The Left (Indonesia)
        • Women (Indonesia)
        • Common Goods (Indonesia)
        • Ecology (Indonesia)
        • Economy (Indonesia)
        • Fundamentalism, sharia, religion (Indonesia)
        • History before 1965 (Indonesia)
        • History from 1945 (Indonesia)
        • History: 1965 and after (Indonesia)
        • Human Rights (Indonesia)
          • MUNIR Said Thalib (Indonesia)
        • Indigenous People (Indonesia)
        • Indonesia / East Timor News Digests DISCONTINUED
          • Indonesia Roundup DISCONTINUED
        • Labor, urban poor (Indonesia)
        • LGBT+ (Indonesia)
        • Natural Disaster (Indonesia)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (Indonesia)
        • Student, youth (Indonesia)
        • Urban Poor (Indonesia)
      • Japan
        • Political situation (Japan)
        • Health (Japan)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Japan)
        • Okinawa (Japan)
        • Women (Japan)
        • Anti-war movement (Japan)
        • Disasters (Japan)
        • Ecology (Japan)
        • Economy (Japan)
        • Energy, nuclear (Japan)
          • History (nuclear, Japan)
        • History (Japan)
          • History of people’s struggles (Japan)
        • Human Rights (Japan)
        • Institutions (Japan)
        • International Relations (Japan)
        • Labor, TUs & the Left (Japan)
        • LGBT+ (Japan)
        • Migrants, Racism (Japan)
        • Military, Nuclear weapon (Japan)
        • Tokyo Olympics
      • Kashmir (India, Pakistan)
        • Kashmir: Pakistan
        • Kashmir: K&J, India
      • Korea
        • Antiwar, military bases (Korea)
        • History (Korea)
        • Korean Crisis (Geopolitics)
        • North Korea
          • Pandemics, epidemics (North Korea)
        • South Korea
          • Epidemics (health, South Korea)
          • Women (South Korea)
          • Ecology, common goods (South Korea)
          • Free Trade, FTA & WTO (South Korea)
          • Labor & co. (South Korea)
          • LGBT+ (South Korea)
          • Migrant (South Korea)
          • Nuclear (South Korea)
          • Rural & fisherfolk (South Korea)
          • The Left (South Korea)
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
        • Women, family (Malaysia)
        • Clean elections, clean government! (Malaysia)
        • Ecology (Malaysia)
        • Health ( Malaysia)
          • Malaysia: Epidemics, pandemics (health, Malaysia)
        • History (Malaysia)
        • Labor, TUs & people’s movements (Malaysia)
        • LGBT+ (Malaysia)
        • Malaysian international solidarity initiatives
        • Migrant, Refugee (Malaysia)
        • Religion, law, fundamentalism (Malaysia)
        • The Left (Malaysia)
          • The Left: PSM (Malaysia)
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
        • Women (Nepal)
        • Background articles (Nepal)
        • Ecology, Climate (Nepal)
        • Humanitarian Disasters (Nepal)
        • Rural (Nepal)
      • Pakistan
        • Balochistan (Pakistan)
        • Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan)
          • Baba Jan (Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan)
        • Health (Pakistan)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Pakistan)
        • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (NWFP - Pakistan)
        • Labor & Women (Pakistan)
        • Women, fundamentalism (Pakistan)
        • China & CPEC (Pakistan)
        • Ecology, Nuclear (Pakistan)
        • Economy (Pakistan)
        • Fundamentalism, Taliban (Pakistan)
        • History (Pakistan)
        • Human Rights & religious violence (Pakistan)
        • Human Rights (Pakistan)
        • Labor & TUs (Pakistan)
        • LGBT+ (Pakistan)
        • Natural Disasters (Pakistan)
        • Nuclear Capabilities (Pakistan)
        • Nuclear, antiwar, solidarity (Pakistan)
        • Regional Politics (Pakistan)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (Pakistan)
        • Social Forum (Pakistan)
        • Student, youth (Pakistan)
        • The Left (Pakistan)
          • AWP (The Left, Pakistan)
          • LPP (The Left, Pakistan)
          • The Struggle (The Left, Pakistan)
        • Urban (Pakistan)
      • Philippines
        • Political Situation
        • Health (Philippines)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Philippines)
        • Mindanao (Philippines)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Mindanao)
          • Bangsamoro Political Entity (Mindanao)
            • Moros Movements (history, Mindanao)
          • Clans & violence (Mindanao)
          • Climate (Mindanao)
          • Economy, social (Mindanao)
          • Humanitarian Disasters (Mindanao)
          • Lumad (Mindanao)
          • Peace process (Mindanao)
          • Secular, Politics & Churches (Mindanao)
        • The Left (Philippines)
          • CPP (killings) (Philippines)
          • CPP (Purges) (Philippines)
          • History (The Left, Philippines)
          • The Left and self-determination (Mindanao)
        • Women (Philippines)
          • History (women, Philippines)
          • Prostitution (Philippines)
          • Reproductive Rights (Philippines)
        • Antiwar, International Solidarity (Philippines)
        • Debt, poverty, Common Goods (Philippines)
        • Disasters (Philippines)
        • Ecology (Philippines)
        • Economy & trade, social (Philippines)
        • Education (Philippines)
        • Geopolitics and international relations (Philippines)
        • History, society, culture (Philippines)
        • Human Rights (Philippines)
        • Labor (Philippines)
          • Migrant, Migration (labor, Philippines)
        • LGBT+ (Philippines)
        • Military policy (Philippines)
        • Nuclear (Philippines)
        • Rural (Philippines)
        • Urban (Philippines)
      • Singapore
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (Singapore, health)
        • LGBT+ (Singapore)
        • Migrant workers (Singapore)
      • Sri Lanka
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Sri Lanka)
        • The left (Sri Lanka)
          • History (The Left, Sri Lanka)
            • Bala Tampoe
            • JVP and Rohana Wijeweera (Sri Lanka)
            • Linus Jayatilake
            • Santasilan Kadirgamar
            • Upali Cooray
          • Left Voice / Wame Handa (The Left, Sri Lanka)
          • NSSP-NLF (The Left, Sri Lanka)
          • Working People Party (Sri Lanka)
        • Women (Sri Lanka)
        • Aid, humanitarian crisis (Sri Lanka)
        • Economy (Sri Lanka)
        • Fundamentalism, Religious violences (Sri Lanka)
        • History (Sri Lanka)
          • History (after independence, Sri Lanka)
          • History (Ceylon before independence)
        • Labor & TUs (Sri Lanka)
        • LGBT+ (Sri Lanka)
        • Muslims (Sri Lanka)
        • Rural (Sri Lanka)
        • Tamils (Sri Lanka)
      • Taiwan
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Taiwan)
        • History (Taiwan)
        • International Relations (Taiwan)
        • LGBT+ (Taiwan)
        • Migrants (Taiwan)
        • Regional Tensions (Taiwan)
        • The Left (Taiwan)
        • Women (Taiwan)
      • Thailand
        • Health (Thailand)
          • Pandemics (health, Thailand)
        • On the Left (Thailand)
        • Regime, society (Thailand)
        • Women (Thailand)
        • Culture, society (Thailand)
        • Deep South (Thailand)
        • Disasters (Thailand)
        • Ecology, climate (Thailand)
        • Economy (Thailand)
        • Géopolitics (Regional) (Thailand)
        • History (Thailand)
          • History of people’s struggles (Thailand)
        • Human Rights, law, justice (Thailand)
        • Labor (Thailand)
        • LGBT+ (Thailand)
        • Migrants, refugees (Thailand)
        • Rural (Thailand)
      • Tibet
      • Vietnam & Indochina
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Vietnam)
        • Human Rights & Freedoms (Vietnam)
        • Women (Vietnam)
        • Chemical War, Agent Orange (Vietnam & Indochina)
        • Ecology (Vietnam)
        • Géopolitics (regional) (Vietnam)
        • History and debates (Vietnam & Indochina)
        • In the capitalist transition (Vietnam)
        • LGBT+ (Vietnam)
        • Rural (Vietnam)
        • Social Movements, Labour (Vietnam)
        • The solidarity movements (Vietnam & Indochina)
    • Europe, Great Britain
      • European Geopolitics
      • European Union
        • Catalonia crisis (EU)
        • Constitution, history & crisis (EU)
        • Countries (EU & co.)
          • Health (countries, EU)
            • Epidemics, pandemics (health, EU)
          • LGBT+ (countries, Europe)
          • Racism, xenophobia (countries, EU)
        • Health (EU)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, EU)
        • Institutions, regime (EU)
        • Agriculture (EU)
          • GMO (EU)
        • Economy, social (EU)
        • Education & youth (EU)
        • Energy, nuclear (EU)
        • Environment (EU)
          • Biodiversity (EU)
          • Climate (EU)
        • External Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Africa Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Asia Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Latin America relations (EU)
          • Europe-Mediterranean Relations (EU)
          • Europe-North America Relations (EU)
        • Housing (EU)
        • LGBT+ (EU)
        • Migration (EU)
        • Military (EU)
        • Public Services (EU)
        • Transport (EU)
      • Which Europe?
      • Women (Europe)
        • Debt (women, Europe)
        • History (women, Europe)
        • Reproductive Rights (Europe)
        • Violence against women (Europe)
        • Women & work (Europe)
      • Fascism, extreme right, fundamentalism (Europe)
      • History (modern) (Europe)
      • History (pre-modern) (Europe)
      • Migrants, refugees, racism (Europe)
      • On the Left (Europe)
        • Left, epidemics, health (Europe)
        • EACL, European conferences
        • History of people’s struggles (Europe)
        • History of the Left (Europe, out of France and Britain)
        • Project K (Europe)
        • The European Left Party (Europe)
      • Racism (Europe)
      • Religion, churches, secularity (Europe)
      • Social movements, labour (Europe)
        • EU: Car Industry
        • EU: Pensions
        • Housing (Europe)
      • War and militarism
      • Balkans
        • Women (Balkans)
        • Balkans: Yugoslav Crisis in the 1990s
      • France
        • Political situation and debates (France)
        • Health (France)
          • Epidemics, pandemics, (health, France)
        • The Left (France)
        • Ecology (France)
          • Energy (France)
          • Nuclear (France)
        • Ecology: Parc des Beaumonts (France)
          • France: Ornithology: from elsewhere
          • France: Ornithology: log
          • France: Ornithology: reports
        • Education (France)
        • Far Rigth, Extreme Right (France)
        • French Imperialism, international relations (France)
          • Armament, nuclear (France)
          • France & the Middle-East & Mediterranean
          • France: France-Asia Relations
          • Franco-African Relations (France)
          • Relations France – LA/Carribean (France)
        • History & Memory (France)
        • Human Rights Freedoms (France)
          • Terrorism (Human Rights, France)
        • LGBT+ (France)
        • Migrant, Refugee, Migration (France)
        • Military (France)
        • Political regime, parties, ideologies (France)
        • Racism (France)
        • Social Movements, economy and labor (France)
        • Women (France)
      • Great Britain & Northern Ireland (Europe)
        • Health (UK)
          • Epidemics (health, UK)
        • North of Ireland (UK)
        • Scotland
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Scotland)
        • Wales
        • Women (UK)
        • Brexit (UK)
        • Education (UK)
        • Environment (UK)
        • Extreme right / Fascism (Britain)
        • History (UK)
        • Human Rights and Freedoms
        • LGBT+ (UK)
        • Media (UK)
        • Migrants - refugees, racism (UK)
        • Monarchy (UK)
        • On the Left (UK)
        • Racism, xenophobia (UK)
          • Blacks / Black people/African diaspora (UK)
          • Chinese (UK)
          • Jew (UK)
          • Muslims (Racism, Britain)
        • Secularism (UK)
      • Humanitarian Disasters (Europe)
      • Russia & Eastern Europe
        • Economy (Eastern Europe)
        • Belarus / Belarusia
        • Moldava
        • Russia
          • Social and labour resistance in Russia
          • Economy
          • LGBT+ (Russia)
          • On the left (Russia)
          • Women (Russia)
        • South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Karabakh)
          • South Caucasus: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
        • Ukraine
          • Far right (Ukraine)
          • History (Ukraine)
          • Labour (Ukraine)
          • LGBT+ (Ukraine)
          • On the left (Ukraine)
          • Women (Ukraine)
        • USSR, Soviet Bloc, Russian Empire (history)
          • History (USSR)
            • Russian Revolution
          • Transition to capitalism in USSR and Eastern Europe
          • Women (Soviet Bloc)
      • Turkey
        • Kurdistan (Turkey)
        • Women (Turkey)
        • Economy, social (Turkey)
        • History, society (Turkey)
        • Islamism (Turkey)
        • LGBT+ (Turkey)
        • Turkey: Migrants
    • Middle East & N. Africa
      • Women (MENA)
      • MENA: Ecology
      • MENA: Labour
      • MENA: LGBT+
      • MENA: The region
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, MENA)
      • Algeria
        • Women (Algeria)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Algeria)
        • History (Algeria)
          • History: 1945-1962 (Algeria)
          • History: post-1962 (Algeria)
      • Bahrain
      • Egypt
        • Women (Egypt)
        • Egypt: Economy
        • Egypt: Fundamentalism, secular
        • Egypt: History
        • Egypt: Labor
        • Egypt: LGBT+
        • Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood, Islamism
        • Egypt: On the Left
      • Iran
        • Women (Iran)
        • “Khiaban” and other bulletins (Iran)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Iran)
        • History (Iran)
          • History of people’s struggles (Iran)
          • History, society, regime (Iran)
        • LGBT + (Iran)
        • Religion, secular (Iran)
      • Iraq
        • Women (Iraq)
        • Kurdistan in Iraq
        • LGBT+ (Iraq)
        • The Left (Iraq)
      • Jordan
        • Women (Jordan)
        • Education Sector (Jordan)
      • Kuwait
      • Lebanon
        • Women (Lebanon)
        • Industrial Disasters
        • Labour (Lebanon)
        • LGBT (Lebanon)
      • Libya
        • Women (Libya)
        • Libya: LGBT+
        • Libya: Society, history
      • Morocco & Western Sahara
        • Western Sahara
        • Women (Morocco)
        • Ecology (Morocco)
        • Human Rights and Freedoms (Morocco)
        • Left forces (Morocco)
        • Rural (Morocco)
        • Society, economy, history (Morocco)
      • Oman
      • Palestine & Israel
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Palestine & Israel)
        • Women (Palestine & Israel)
        • Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanctions: Solidarity (Palestine & (...)
        • Economy (Palestine & Israel)
        • Fundamentalism (Palestine & Israel)
        • History (Palestine & Israel)
        • Human Rights (Palestine & Israel)
        • In Memory (Palestine & Israel)
        • Labor, social movements (Palestine & Israel)
        • Left (Israel)
        • LGBT+ (Palestine & Israel)
        • Military, nuclear (Israel)
        • Movements (Palestine)
        • Society (Palestine & Israel)
      • Qatar (Eng)
        • Football World Cup (Qatar)
      • Saudi Arabia
        • Women (Saudi Arabia)
        • Fundamentalism, sharia (Saudi Arabia)
        • Migrants (Saudi Arabia)
        • Society, history ( (Saudi Arabia))
      • Somalia
      • Syria
        • Kurdistan (Syria)
        • Pandemics (Health, Syria)
        • Women Syria)
        • History, society, culture (Syria)
        • International left (Syria)
        • Secularity (Syria)
      • Tunisia
        • Women (Tunisia)
        • Tunisia: Economy
        • Tunisia: Ennahdha, Islamism
        • Tunisia: LGBT+
        • Tunisia: On the Left
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Yemen
        • Women (Yemen)
    • Polar Regions
      • Antarctica
      • Arctic
    • South Pacific
      • Epidemics, Pandemics (health, South Pacific)
      • Australia
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Australia)
        • Women, (Australia)
          • Reproductive Rights (Australia)
        • Australia: History of people’s struggles
        • Australia: Regional Role
        • Disasters - Humanitarian and ecological (Australia)
        • History (Australia)
        • LGBT+ (Australia)
        • Migrant / Migration (Australia)
        • Racism (Australia)
      • Easter Island
      • Fiji
      • Kanaky / New Caledonia
      • Marshall Islands (inc. Bikini Atoll)
      • Micronesia
        • Guam
      • New Zealand / Aotearoa
        • Women (New Zealand/Aotearoa)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, New Zeland)
        • New Zealand/Aotearoa: Racism
      • Papua New Guinea
        • Papua New Guinea: Epidemics, pandemics (health)
      • Polynesia (French)
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
  • Home
  • English
  • Europe, Great Britain
  • Russia & Eastern Europe
  • Ukraine
  • What happened in Odessa? Maidan, the Government, the Movement on the (...)

What happened in Odessa? Maidan, the Government, the Movement on the East Only the workers’ movement can stop flaring up of war in Ukraine

Thursday 8 May 2014, by POPOVYCH Zakhar

  
  • Ukraine (eng)
  • Maidan (Ukraine)
  • Odessa
  Contents  
  • Difference between Maidan (...)
  • The Movement on the East
  • The balance sheet of the (...)

On May 2014 more than 40 people were killed in Odessa during the brutal clashes and fire in the “House of Trade Unions”. The violent actions came from both sides of the confrontation and there is no excuse for this. Very careful investigation is needed to find out the true story of events.

We can speak only about our first impressions now. It looks as if the so-called pro-Russian activists provoked violence by blocking the route of the rally for “unified Ukraine”. This blocking of the route was definitely the aggressive step, because before 2 May neither side made attempts to prevent opponents from holding demonstrations in Odessa. Never previously were routes of pro-Russian demonstrations blocked. When two demonstrations approached each other hard cobblestones and paving blocks were thrown from both sides.

The witnesses we have at the moment indicate that first shooting was from the side of “pro-Russians”. Even the “Borotba” organization which is at the moment the integral part of this pro-Russian movement in Odessa did not affirm that shooting did not begin from their side. It looks like the most of guns were automatic rifles but there were also some shot guns.

For the moment we have no firm witnesses of shooting from the “unified Ukraine” demonstrators on Sobornaya square in downtown Odessa during the blocking of their route by “pro-Russians”. But we have evidence of machine gun fire, first killings and severe injuries there. Witnesses say the shooting came from the “pro-Russians”, behind the police and under their protection. It is important to stress that most witnesses were involved in clashes and have a very emotional perception of events. Some impartial and unprejudiced investigation of events is absolutely needed.

On the other hand after the shooting, the “pro-Russians” were subject to brutal beating from the “pro-Ukrainian” opponents. Many of them were severely injured and some possibly killed. Moreover the “pro-Ukrainian” crowed ran wild smashing the camp of “pro-Russians” on the Kulikovo Pole square near Odessa’s main railway station. The tents were burned down in minutes. At that moment we also have the first firm witnesses that the “pro-Ukrainans” also used guns. Then “pro-Russians” holed up in the “House of Trade Unions”. The building was burned by “Molotov cocktails” thrown from outside of the building (the theory that the fire began inside the building is very questionable). But of course we cannot exclude the possible role of provocateurs whoever they could be.

Many people died in the fire from suffocation and burns. Some jumped from windows and died on the ground. Some escaped using fire ladders and ropes. There are witnesses who indicated that “pro-Ukrainians” come to their senses and tried to save people from the fire. They put ladders to some windows, tried to put tires in front of some windows to make a softer landing.

But there is also evidence of clashes between the people saved from fire with ladders and those who put these ladders. It seems that “pro-Russians” saved from fire did not want to surrender and tried to fight for escape. Some witnesses also claim that some “pro-Russians” who did not resist were also beaten. Testimonies are contradictory and it is hard to be sure what happened without an unprejudiced investigation of events.

Nevertheless, what we can state for sure is that the radical left activists who participated in joint actions a year before, were now involved in events on both the sides killing each other. Andrej Brajevsky, a 27 year old programmer, a member of “Borotba” organization was killed in the “House of Unions”. He was in a pro-Russian “Odesskaya druzhina” para-military unit. Another young man from the “anti-fa” football fans movement was shot on Sobornaya square.

It appears that left activists became the infantry, the cannon fodder in the war which clearly has nothing to do with the class interests of Ukrainian workers of all nationalities and ethnic origins. Leftist were killed in Kiev fighting for Maidan against the Police (remember the 33 year old anarchist Sergii Kens’kyj shot dead on 20 February on Instytuts’ka street). Now leftists fighting on the anti-Maidan side were also killed.

The fact is that workers do not participate in either antagonistic movement, and because of that both movements are progressively turning away from an agenda of social and class struggle to a ethno-cultural, nationalistic and finally chauvinistic one. The question of the justification of the existence of the Ukrainian state turns to much more important for both sides than all the issues of social security and labour rights.

Where workers participate they allow no violence. And it happens in all parts of Ukraine, no matter whether it in the East or West.

When anti-Maidan forces in Kryvyii Rig (Dnepropetrovsk oblast) tried to use paid militants to attack and beat the Maidan activists in this industrial city, miners’ self-defense units easily found the way to pacify provocateurs and nobody was killed.

Nobody was killed when the workers of Krasnodon (Lugansk oblast) went on strike and effectively took the city under their control during the uprising. Workers did not allow either anti-Maidan or pro-Maidan forces to use them. They did not join the “pro-Russian” movement. But they also did not allow themselves to be used in support of Timoshenko or any other bourgeois candidate in the Presidential elections.

But the workers are in Kryvyii Rig and Krasnodon, and there are no organized workers in the streets of Odessa, Donetsk, Lugansk and or of Slov’jansk and Kramatorsk. Workers are, as a rule, not involved in the movement. And while we saw some signs of involvement of independent unions in central Ukraine we have seen no signs of involvement of workers’ unions in the movement in the East. And this is the key to the tragedy of civil war that is now flaring up in Ukraine.

The Ukraine is much more homogenous that one might think. There are many ethnic Russians and ethnic Ukrainians in all parts of Ukraine. And setting them at loggerheads will mean ethnic conflict in all parts of the country. There is no point in speculation about the social composition of Maida and anti-Maidan, or as some call it “pro-Ukrainian” and “pro-Russian” movements. It looks like it is mostly the same. And working people were present in both of course, as well as lumpen and petty bourgeoisie elements.

In the cities where more workers live more workers individually participate in both Maidan and anti-Maidan.

And there are also many right-wingers and a very weak workers’ movement. Soviet Stalinism destroyed the tradition of workers’ self-organization in our country and an independent workers’ movement is only now making first steps. But these steps are significant and have already shown that a general strike can change the agenda of protests.

And the only force that can stop this war is the workers’ movement of solidarity around the demands of social justice and removing of oligarchy from power. This is the only chance for Ukraine to survive.

As we see that the police demonstrate in Odessa a lack of the capacity and even will to protect anybody, we call on workers to form their own independent self-defence units under the control of strike committees (like in Lugansks) or independent trade-unions like “Miners” hundred of Kryvyi Rig.

 Difference between Maidan and the Government of Ukraine

We have never supported this government.

We can put up with it temporarily but not support it. It is another question that we cannot consider it a military junta. Not yet. Unfortunately, the junta is not in Kiev, but in Slov’jansk. In Kiev you can easily have demonstrations with red flags and distribute leaflets of any kind. The May Day demonstrations showed this explicitly. All liberal freedoms are available in Kiev, but not in the Donetsk Peoples Republic. You probably heard about regular kidnappings of journalists and ordinary people. At Easter people armed with machine guns searched and undressed me in Slov’jansk because I had Kiev registration. I was saved by local residents who bailed me out. Some my friends are still somewhere in the basement of Slov’jansk SBU building. It looks like they use administrative buildings just to make prisons of them.

But as for the central government in Kiev, it not only represents nobody in Eastern Ukraine, it is not in fact trusted much in Western and even central Ukraine. Maidan was a mass movement inspired by the idea of justice, social justice as the first necessity. When we had public discussions on Maidan in January and February people were sure that as soon as Janukovich was removed we would stop corruption and increase social standards.

People were angry with the idea that the new government could impose austerity measures and social cuts, just as Janukovich did. Nobody believed it, but it is exactly what government is trying to do now to receive IMF loans.

The government is now switching its attention to national security. But this nationalist hysteria has nothing to do with the Maidan movement as a whole.

This government was at one moment accepted by Maidan and it was definitely the worst thing Maidan could ever accept. But it is no more pro-Maidan. Unfortunately the Maidan movement as we know it in the winter of 2013/2014 no longer exists.

The government is now trying to move away from Maidan’s agenda of social justice but I think that the only force capable of drawing it back to the real essence of Maidan – will be the new Maidan, the workers’ one. And in this case it would be another government.

I don’t think that at the moment the “Pravyii sector” controls the National Guard units or even plays a significant role there .

Some individual members of right parties can participate in the National Guard but they are in a small minority in these units up to now. The “Pravyii sector” is a very small party that exists mostly on Russian TV channels. But it is also true that moving to the nationalist agenda of “defending ethnic Ukrainians from invasion of Russians” will make radical right-wingers more and more significant, and among the military as well.

 The Movement on the East

It is definitely less massive and less loud than Maidan in Kiev. For example, during the last months they have failed to organize a single mass rally that is more than 1.5 thousand people strong in Donetsk. There are very few leaflets and newspapers, virtually no discussions. You could hardly find a place for public discussion in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk even during the mass demos a month ago, now under the military regime of DPR there are definitely no such places. Instead of discussions they organized public places for watching Russian TV by satellite.

Russian citizens and even organized armed groups are definitely present. But most active participants are of course locals. For example, in Kramatorsk two major local criminal gangs are playing the leading role in “self-defence” militia. In the “green man” unit in Sloviansk many are Russian citizens, some are veterans of Russian security forces. Are there any actual Russian officers in service? Of course we don’t know exactly but we see for sure the coordination with the Russian authorities.

On the other hand it is clear that the main organizing force from the beginning was not the Russian government but local oligarchs. It is hard to say to what extent it is coordinated by Janukovich, Mogilev, Pshonka and others, but it was definitely begun with the knowledge and agreement of Akhmetov who is the major Ukrainian oligarch, and they say the “Master of Donbass”.

And of course the leadership of DPR and especially of the military coup in Sloviansk are right-wing chauvinists. The military commander of DPR is Mr. Strelkov (former Russian FSB officer Girkin) who is a conscious monarchist and big fan of Denikin. All these people think that independent Ukraine is just a mistake of history to be corrected. Which as you understand is not acceptable for most Ukrainians, even in Donbass.

Unfortunately we cannot call this movement anti-fascist at all. It is not less fascist as the Maidan movement. And it seems to me that at the moment it looks much more fascist in the way it acts. Let’s remember the violent attack of this “anti-fascist” demonstration on the “pro-Ukrainian” demonstration in Donetsk a week ago. Three hundred people well-armed with metal sticks attacked the pro-Maidan demo which was approximately 800 strong but not armed at all. Twelve people were badly injured and are still in hospital, more than a hundred and fifty were beaten, all on the pro-Maidan side. When these “anti-fascists” disperse “maiduns” as they call them and finish beating, they just go back to the DNR headquarters, they do not even try to hide themselves.

The leftist sthat join this movement back up this chauvinistiagenda and fail to push any internationalism. At the moment they justify themselves with the argument that Russian imperialism is less evil then American, and because of that “we should support Russian imperialism” – a shameful logic.

 The balance sheet of the Conference “Left and Maidan”

The so-called “Euromaidan” movement in Ukraine was complicated. What is going on now is even more complicated. To sort things out about Maidan we even organized the conference in Kiev on 12 April. [1] Of course we did not reach a final decision on all points. But I can try to summarize the main things in two words:

– “Maidan” was definitely not Left but very sensitive to the ideas of social justice and social change, essentially left ideas. Many people on Maidan supported very radical left slogans not only progressive taxation of oligarchs, open accountancy and direct democracy, but also of workers’ control and even the limitation of electoral rights of bourgeoisie (to be more precise we proposed banning wealthy people from being elected or appointed to government positions).

– The main problem of the Left seems to be its inability to present its ideas adequately. The Leftists have been dispersed. Some radically distance themselves from the mass movement, others mostly dissolve into it.

The main failures were because of lack of coordination. For example, the same time as Borotba activist Denis Levin was beaten by neo-Nazis on Maidan there were two other Leftist events there – 300 meters away from the point in the very center of Maidan 30 students from the union “Direct action” – were making the presentation about students’ self-organization. Five hundred meters away other leftists and anti-fascists had a demo of 200 activists against police violence. No surprise that neo-Nazis attacked Denis Levin who was virtually alone with his trade-union leaflets. His Borotba organization did not support him. And when we joined him it was too late.

Zakhar Popovych, Kiev, 8 May 2014


P.S.

* http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/

Footnotes

[1] This conference for “left wing organizations and initiatives that condemn national chauvinism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and that equallycondemn the Russian intervention and any violent action against leftist or trade-union activists or unarmed protesters” brought together 80 activists, from different including some miners from Krivyi Rih and Dnepopetrovsk, belonging to the confederation of Free Trade Unions. Catherine Samary, IVP collaborator, was also present.

No specific license (default rights)
  • Newsletter
  • Search by keyword
  • Search by author
  • Links

Also in this section

  • The War on Ukraine
  • The EU’s plan for Ukraine hydrogen exports is colonialist greenwash
  • How to restore employment in Ukraine: an alternative proposal to the government’s neoliberal reconstruction plan
  • Ukraine: “When there’s a problem, people come to us”
  • “We must rebuild a left-wing student union in Ukraine”
  • Ukraine: Censorship and self-censorship in time of war
  • Ukrainian ’de-oligarchization and de-corruptionization’
  • Ukrainian workers’ war on two fronts
  • Ukraine uses Russian invasion to pass laws wrecking workers’ rights
  • Unions sound warning about UK-backed plan to rebuild Ukraine

1996-2022  — Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières
What about us ? | Site Map | Credits | Log in |  RSS 2.0 | Twitter | Facebook | Contact

SPIP