[peopleincommon] Fwd: FW: Russian uni workers oppose intervention in Ukraine

[Mark Barrett]

Steve wrote:

".and who is calling for demonstrations outside US embassies to halt THEIR
military intervention in Ukraine?!"

Of course we need to be careful. hopefully you noted that the declarations
are not pro - West. We need to go beyond it but must we really go as far as
to passively support the Putin approach? if Russian and other activists are
willing to put their necks on the block in Russia and Crimea to stop
further military intervention I think they should be supported. but we do
need to go beyond an indirect support or potential co-option by the west.
How to do i though?

I wrote this earlier  today, as a suggestion

"The 'death to nationalism!' slogan of the present Bosnian movement and
others' calls in recent years for a global movement using the symbol of the
white flag never seemed more appropriate IMO. Maybe it is time to beyond
embassy protests as these will presumably be used by opposing nationalist /
imperialist powers. We need unco-optable ie bullet proof targets and a
global peace movement calling for the death of nationalism, a new global
order and  the protection of minority communities everywhere.

What about the un as a target with a call for a global parliament. Or some
other suggestion? Can we take  global occupy to the next level?"

James Sadri wrote
"To move this beyond embassies would be great - love the white flag idea /
global occupy/parliament. high time to target the undemocratic UN"

What do others think? Did anyone make it to the Russian Embassy today ?

here is some more on the topic

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/mar/20/fascism-russia-and-ukraine/

"I guess I should've mentioned it, the correct name of the group is
LeftEast, which is our collective of East European groups. We've worked for
one year now to develop regional solidarity and a specific sense of
regional internationalism.

As for a common statement or political project, I think it's a bit too
early but it will come. For now we try to work on bringing together
positions of groups such as Ukrainian unions, the Greek anti-capitalist
block, Russian independent left, etc., but I feel we have to assess first
locally the substance of Russia's moves and of the reactions. One thing I
wouldn't want, besides the continuation in the region of "politics", as you
say, is to go along with the Western press and transform "the Ukraine
story" into the "Russia story". Also, from a regional perspective for now I
think it's time for communication, listening, and organisation, rather than
expertise and final statements, which is why there was a consensus that this
personal letter is thus far the best "common statement" we should publish:

http://www.criticatac.ro/lefteast/i-hate-on-war-in-ukraine/


On Sunday, March 2, 2014 8:06 PM, Sukla  wrote:
Peace activists, I'd like to reiterate, have to categorically reject the
premise that the big/powerful nation-states have legitimate rights to
pursue their "strategic interests", as perceived by their current rulers,
in smaller/weaker nation-states, no matter what is the internal dynamic of
the concerned smaller nation-states regardless of such rejection goes
against the "strategic interests" of which big nation.

Such rejection must apply across the spectrum. There must be no pussyfooting
.

Sukla


On 2 March 2014 18:41, ovidiu tichindeleanu  wrote:

In my view any denunciation of the Russian military operations which does
not ALSO take explicit distance from the coup politics of the West and its
collusion with the far-right forces in Ukraine is using both the peace
movement and Eastern Europe for other interests. It is especially sad if
such denunciations are expressed by Western leftists.


On Sunday, March 2, 2014 7:44 AM, Sukla Sen <sukla.sen at gmail.com> wrote:
[This is an act of aggression.
The peace movements world over must condemn.]
I/II.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ukraine-russian-invaded-occupies-crimea-article-1.1707141


"many thanks mark, i've been following this closely (having done research
on ukraine at ucl relatively recently it was not so hard for me to follow).
 i have been puzzled about the lack of support here among occupy etc
considering the heroic 3 month stand off in kyiv of outstanding cooperation
(such cooperation among such diverse groups perhaps only possible a country
with a socialist past - lenin may have been proud of all that statue
toppling in the name of bringing down Yanukovich's regime) .  Perhaps the
talk of neo nazism scares people, it's russian propaganda of course, until
the end of february they called the kyiv occupiers jewish homosexuals.
 russian tv is more and more blatant and one of the leaflets being handed
to ukrainian military by the russian military in crimea actually uses the
words "the zionist backed neo nazi scum in kyiv"

Timothy Snyder is sound on his figures and analysis (imo)
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/mar/20/fascism-russia-and-ukraine/

I'd appreciate any info on actions you hear of - i have pitched up at the
ukrainian embassy that thursday night when people were being shot at from
the roofs of kyiv but there were only worried ukrainians there - such
little support from 'the left' here puzzles me.  Is it this 'Russia good
USA bad' hangover do you think?  Or is there something i am missing that
explains lack of support here?  Is it just too complicated?  Putin's russia
seems truly neo fascist mafia run state to me.  Today russia blocked
internet access to many ukrainain sites including social media, perhaps
because, whilst last week, after Yanuk fled, whilst all that was coming out
of kyiv social media was images of funerals, flowers, candles, tears and
song,  russian activists, who had been expressing support only in coded
fashion (for fear of state reprisals) were emboldened and this went viral
(it's in russian)

Украина- страна сильных духом людей (А story of a Great nation) english ver
- YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=forQ6u1REac>
Pro-Maidan Video Goes Viral Thanks to Pavel Durov, Russia’s Zuckerberg ·
Global Voices<http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/02/22/pro-maidan-video-goes-viral-thanks-to-pavel-durov-russias-zuckerberg/>

large anti war demos in moscow were violently repressed with many arrests

here is a web siteYanukovich's Assets <http://yanukovich.info/> produced by
investigative journalists before Yanuk's fall re what has happened to the
state budget - it was designed to appeal to european countries to enact
their own laws re money from PEPs (politically exposed persons).  Austria
and Switzerland have already taken action and frozen accounts.  Shocking
that London remains silent on this issue (I've asked my MP for current UK
'thinking' on this but not heard nowt)  UK, with USA & Russia, was a
signatory to the Bucharest Memorandum that agreed Ukraine's borders in
exchange for them giving up their huge nuclear arsenal - so we had some
interest in Ukraine then.

anyway mark, just to say thank you, and keep me posted"



On 3 March 2014 12:59, MetCrimes <metcrimes.public at sjago.com> wrote:

>  ...and who is calling for demonstrations outside US embassies to halt
> THEIR military intervention in Ukraine?!
>
>
> On 03/03/2014 11:56, Mark Barrett wrote:
>
>   ---------- Forwarded message ---------- (and see also attachment and
> below)
>
>  University workers' union of russia calls for demonstrations outside
> Russian embassies to halt military intervention in Ukraine. They say the
> anti-intervention protest in Moscow was 1,500-strong, with over 400 arrests.
>
>  --------------------------
>  Events in Ukraine are moving at a terrifying speed. This statement was
> prepared by the editors of the OpenLeft in the morning of March 1st,
> 2014. Today, March 2nd, at 2 pm, Russians in different cities will
> hold rallies against a possible Russian intervention into Ukraine.
>
> Crimea—Not “Ours” or “Yours”
> http://www.criticatac.ro/lefteast/crimea-not-ours-or-yours/
>
>  [And see also
>
> http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/mar/20/fascism-russia-and-ukraine/
>
> http://libcom.org/news/internationalists-issue-declaration-against-war-ukraine-02032014
>  ]
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* Praxis Center [mailto:praxiscenter at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* 02 March 2014 18:51
> *To:* Praxis Center
> *Subject:* Les Russes contre l'intervention russe en Ukraine
>
>  Chers amis,
> En piece jointe vous trouverez la declaration du syndicat "Solidarite
> universitaire".
> Aujourd'hui a Moscou se sont tenus deux rassemblements contre la guerre,
> disperses par la police; de 1500 participants plus de 400 ont ete arretes,
> certains d'eux restent toujours aux bureaux de police.
> *Nous avous appelons a vous manifester devant les ambassades russes, a
> rediger et signer des petition demandant d'arreter l'intervention militaire
> russe en Ukraine. C'est vraiment tres urgent dans la situation actuelle.*
>
>  --
> Научно-просветительский центр "Праксис"
> Praxis Research and Educational Center
> www.praxiscenter.ru
>
>
>
>
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