Sunday, June 12, 2016

Odessa Solidarity Campaign

Here in the belly of the beast, otherwise known as the United States of America, we are lied to on a regular basis by the government, the ruling classes and their friends in the corporate media. One of the worst foreign policy lies in recent years concerns the overthrow of the Ukrainian government in 2014.

This coup took place under the direction of the Obama administration. It was part of a 20-year long effort to weaken and dismantle the Russian federation. The first point of attack was continued NATO expansion and then the destruction of a neighboring, pro-Russian government.

Ukraine was taken over by fascists and oligarchs like billionaire president Petro Poroshenko. Unlike Vladimir Putin who was implicated in corporate media reports of offshore bank accounts, Poroshenko has hidden his personal fortune in order to escape public disclosure.

On May 2, 2014 a demonstration in the city of Odessa led to clashes between pro and anti government groups. The anti-government group were chased into the Hall of Trades Unions building which was set on fire. More than 40 people were burned to death. Some who managed to escape the inferno were also killed. Despite the existence of ample photographic evidence, no one has been prosecuted for this crime.

At the invitation of the Council of Mothers of May 2, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) sent a three person delegation to commemorate the massacre and join in the call for an investigation. The newly formed Odessa Solidarity Campaign is a UNAC effort to fight for justice for the martyrs of May 2, to fight fascism and to oppose U.S. interventions around the world. I serve on the advisory board of this campaign and I urge you to stay informed about our work. Thanks.