Filed under: Action, Anarchist Movement, Featured, War
Caught between rival factions of the ruling class and the escalating possibility of world war, the exploited and excluded of the Ukraine now find themselves assaulted by an all out invasion by Putin. While authoritarians on the Left, Right and in the Center cheer on their factions, as anarchists we stand in solidarity with the masses who are pushing back against governments across the world who all have a hand in this war. We also stand in solidarity with anarchist and autonomous groups on the ground who are actively engaged in resisting the current nightmare as well as the thousands across the globe who have taken to the streets, especially in countries like Russia at great risk to themselves, to denounce the current invasion and demand an end to the war.
#Russia: Anti-war protests have broken out in many cities across Russia, with this footage showing a protest in Moscow.
(via @ThomasVLinge) pic.twitter.com/2LABWv4dEL
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) February 24, 2022
In a recent statement on social media, the Federation of Anarchists and Syndicalists in the US summed it up nicely:
There are few words to describe the shock and awe of this moment. Russia has commenced with a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, with reports of bombardments of all Ukraine’s largest cities and civilian infrastructure, as well as cyber-attacks and reports of Russian troops crossing the border into Ukrainian-controlled territory. While we’ve made it clear that one need not put their support behind any side, in particular in conflicts between corrupt, capitalist powers, it is exceptionally clear that Putin has set forth a series of events that will inevitably lead to misery and suffering on a scale not seen in decades. Thousands of deaths. Tens of thousands of casualties. Millions of refugees torn from their homes by the whims of a tyrant grasping at decaying dreams of a long-dead empire. We offer our love and solidarity to not only all Ukrainians, but also those Russians who oppose this war and refuse to consume nationalistic state propaganda and will also be negatively affected by this war and the autocrats who started it.
We have already reached out to our associates in Ukraine. They remain strong in the face of struggle, and will not yield to tyrants in their quest to build a better, freer future for Ukraine. We here in the Federation of Anarchists and Syndicalists will do our best to boost any efforts our friends in Ukraine wish to share. The last time Russian and Ukrainian forces became embroiled in a conflict of this scale, the Free Territory sprang up thanks to the work of thousands of good people on the ground who understood what it meant to seek freedom liberty. We hope that from this conflict a similar, more everlasting ray of hope breaks through the scorched surface. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out to any friends and loved ones you may have on either side of the Russia-Ukraine border. Make sure they are well. From Boston to Kiev, Manchester to Odessa, united we stand.
Militant Ukraine anarchists ‘Rev Dia’ (https://t.co/V1EuvGr7BF) announces their intentions to fight the Russian invasion. In their statement they said that while they’re small they want to do anything to “step on the dictator’s [Putin] neck”. They’ve been training militarily. pic.twitter.com/xbrzLKNHvQ
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) February 24, 2022
With this roundup, we bring you statements, articles, podcasts, and analysis from anarchists and autonomous anti-capitalist groups – both in the US and in the Ukraine and Russia – in an attempt to learn more about the situation, offer mutual aid, and support emergent struggles on the ground against the war and the far-Right.
Anarchist and Autonomous Anti-Capitalist Analysis
- Anarchists in Ukraine Against the War, via the Final Straw
“We spoke about the relationship between Russia and Ukraine, the Maidan uprising and war in the Donbass, resistance to the invasion of Ukraine and the Putin regime, conspiracy theories about Ukraine promoted by Russia and Russian-aligned media outlets, critiques of the Ukrainian state, and anarchists choosing their own path of self-defense and revolutionary mutual aid in the face of invading armies.”
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Russia and Ukraine: Grassroots Resistance to Putin’s Invasion, via CrimethInc.
“In this hasty update, we review some of today’s efforts to resist the Russian invasion of Ukraine—from both Russians within the repressive conditions of Russian society and Ukrainians experiencing the full force of military attacks.”
This is a statement from Food Not Bombs Moscow which just appeared on their Telegram channel. It shows that opposition to the invasion of Ukraine is widespread among Russian anarchists.
"We must resist the militaristic regime and the war it is waging with all our might."🏴🏴🏴 pic.twitter.com/9ofHtLaqEY
— CrimethInc. (@crimethinc) February 24, 2022
“In hopes of providing crucial background on the current tensions between Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), we present the transcript of an excellent interview with an anarchist in Ukraine, followed by another perspective contributed by a Ukrainian anarchist from Lugansk who is now located in Kiev.”
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Anti-Authoritarian Perspectives in Ukraine, via CrimethInc.
“This text was composed together by several active anti-authoritarian activists from Ukraine. We do not represent one organization, but we came together to write this text and prepare for a possible war.”
Statement from the #Ukraine from long-running antifascist band Moscow Death Brigade. https://t.co/0QujR4KsMz
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 25, 2022
“This statement appeared in Russian on avtonom.org, a media project that grew out of the libertarian communist network Autonomous Action.”
- War in the Ukraine: Where Are the Fascists?, via Atlanta Antifascists
- On the Revolutionary Anarchists of the Ukraine, via Anarchist Library
“Soviet propaganda has been very successful in instilling in people the myth that anarchists are drunks and hooligans whose ideas preach chaos. Proponents of anarchist ideas were exterminated in prisons. However, we can now see the anarchist movement begin to recover and develop.”
“In a bid to combat the growing far-right, a group of anarchists calling themselves Rev Dia (Revolutionary Action) have begun to organise.”
- A Russian Anarchist Speaks on Ongoing Torture & Repression, via It’s Going Down
“The FSB, the modern incarnation of the KGB, the secret political police force, has pushed a narrative that a vast network of anarchist terrorists exists, and is a threat to the wider public. Under such a pretext, the Russian State has began a campaign of rounding people up, torturing them, and then releasing them back onto the street.”
- Russian Anarchists on the Invasion of Ukraine: Updates and Analysis, via CrimethInc.
“As the Russian invasion of Ukraine proceeds, anarchists throughout Russia continue to mobilize in protest, joining thousands of other Russians. Here, we publish two statements from longtime Russian anarchist projects that offer some analysis of the situation in Russia and how the invasion of Ukraine might shift it.”
“This system gives birth to wars and is responsible for poverty, injustice, exploitation and oppression. It is therefore time to challenge it in an organised and dynamic way, organising its overthrow on an international scale. ”
Support Refugees Fleeing Conflict
Support Anarchists Facing Repression
- Donate and support to the anarchist community in Ukraine with safety, transport, good, and medical supplies.
- Jail support from Moscow Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) for those arrested during widespread rebellion to the war in Russia.
Links
Solidarity Actions
- Seattle, USA
#Seattle #Ukraine #UkraineInvasion #UkraineRussia https://t.co/5Rj7N0kfdN
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 25, 2022
- Dresden, Germany
Support Anarchist Community in Ukrain during #War – https://t.co/tIYtGd2ZWY #Russia #Solidarity #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Yvr8WN7iGg
— Anarchist Black Cross Dresden (@abc_dresden) February 24, 2022
Around 250 people at the anarchist demonstration in #Dresden again russian invasion to #Ukraine. Apart from demo there was a bigger solidarity rally in city center with around 1200 people. #Russia #Anarhism pic.twitter.com/mHBADSgOGk
— Integration Nightmares (@bad_immigrant) February 24, 2022
- Hamburg, Germany
After a call by Ukrainian anarchists to demonstrate at 7 p.m. in front of Russian embassies and consulates, an anarchist group from Hamburg called for a demonstration.#hh2402 #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/dJAjT2bEBK
— Lars Hermes (@larshermes_) February 24, 2022
- Moscow, Russia
"Anarchists stood at the head of a demonstration for peace in Ukraine + freedom in Russia, moving along Tverskoy Bld in Moscow in the direction from Pushkinskaya Square to Arbat. At about 8 pm, the march was dispersed at the monument to Timiryazev and the police made arrests." https://t.co/VEWCEupxHw pic.twitter.com/ToD1tKN1oV
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 25, 2022
- Ankara, Turkey
Turkish anarchists arrested (because of course) in Ankara for demonstrating outside the Russian Embassy there. This was in response to a global call for solidarity from Ukraine anarchists against the Russian invasion. https://t.co/6hdLqr08j3
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) February 24, 2022
- Hamburg/Stockholm
Beautiful anarchist banners from this weekend's protests against the invasion of #Ukraine.
Stockholm: "A united working class against war."
Berlin: "Don't stand with Putin, don't stand with NATO—stand with the people."
Hamburg: "Against any war, against any militarization."
🏴 pic.twitter.com/jTqQ4LMJCK— CrimethInc. (@crimethinc) February 28, 2022