Ukraine,Statement on the Odessa tragedy - Autonomous Workers Union

An account and analysis of the clashes in Odessa earlier this week between rival groups of 
Ukrainian and pro-Russian nationalists in which more than 40 people were killed, by the 
Kiev group of Ukrainian anarchist organisation Autonomous Workers Union. ---- More than 
40 people were killed and nearly 200 were wounded in the tragic clash of right-wing 
combatants in Odessa on May 2: football hooligans and Euromaidan self-defence on the one 
side; Stalinists, pro-Russian paramilitaries and local police force on the other.
It started as a belligerent mob, comprised of men with ?St. George?s ribbons? and red 
armbands (such armbands were also spotted on some police officers), wielding clubs and 
firearms, approached the march ?for united Ukraine? which was made up of right-wing 
football hooligans joined by a large crowd of civilian people. As fighting began between 
the sides, the riot police provided cover to the attackers and cooperated with them. 4 
people were killed. It is noteworthy that in the previous days the Antimaidan protesters 
had repeatedly marched along the centre of Odessa and never met any physical counteraction 
either from their political opponents or the police.

Civilian ?pro-Ukrainian? crowd didn?t disperse after the shootings; enraged, they started 
the counterattack. As the fighting became sufficiently intense, some of pro-Russian 
combatants withdrew to the Afina trading center, which was then blocked by the police. The 
crowd, incited by hooligans, followed the other part of the attackers and proceeded to 
rout the Antimaidan camp, located near the Trade Union house. The Antimaidan protesters 
fled to that building and then the entrances were barricaded. It should also be noted that 
Alexey Albu, leader of Stalinist Borotba organization, personally urged protesters to come 
inside the blocked building, although never joined them himself. We see this as a proof 
enough to any left or anarchist organization in the world to sever any ties, either 
financial or informational, with this organization. By sending them money you would fund 
the civil war; by spreading their statements and supporting them morally you would 
contribute to their war propaganda.

Violence continued, as Euromaidan crowd surrounded the Trade Union house and combatants 
from both sides fired shots and hurled Molotov cocktails both to and fro the roof of the 
building. At this moment is still unclear which factor contributed the most to the fire, 
which burned some and suffocated others to death.



Video: Civilians from ?Euromaidan? crowd attempt to rescue people from the burning Trade 
Union house.

We are sure that the violence of right-wing hooligans was the integral part of this 
tragedy. However, it is clear that this violence was planned for and counted on. The 
people who should also be held responsible are the pro-Russian instigators and the local 
police, who supported them.

Members of AWU wish to express their deepest mourning for the victims. They fell prey to 
the interests of the forces that consistently try to instigate a civil war in Ukraine. 
Sadly, large parts of the working class are disoriented and serve as merely blind puppets 
in the hands of such forces, giving their lives for utterly stupid and meaningless things 
and ideas. The immediate effect of the escalation of this tragically pointless conflict is 
the split of the working class in Ukraine. While some workers are threatening with a 
political strike in support of the Antimaidan, several members of the (pro-Maidan) 
Confederation of Free Trade Unions are being kidnapped by Antimaidan forces. Instead of 
taking a united stance against the neoliberal policies of the government, proletarians are 
busy fighting each other for the interests of various bourgeois cliques.

The final result of such policies will be a civil war in Ukraine, which will mean an 
ultimate catastrophe for the working class. We are not pacifists and will be at the side 
of the working class whenever it fights against the bourgeoisie, no matter what forms this 
fight takes ? but this is not the case in Ukraine nowadays. The disoriented and weak 
proletariat will be busy engaging in self-destruction; the outcomes will be drastic fall 
of life standards, rise of unemployment and criminal activities, and loss of huge number 
of lives. All prospects of working-class self-organization and mobilization will be buried 
for some time.

We can see that this scenario is being pushed forward by the alliance of various 
right-wing groups, nazis, conservatives and Stalinists. It is important to understand that 
Antimaidan cannot be considered a ?working-class social protest?: the typical demands of 
this movement in various towns are dictated by the most reactionary clerical conservatives 
(abolition of electronic IDs because they include ?the Number of the Beast?; banning of 
vaccination; etc.) and have little to do with the interests of workers.

On the other hand, we are disgusted by the reaction of the right-liberal and patriotic 
general public which takes delight in the Odessa deaths. However wrong the killed people 
might have been, they shouldn?t have died in this brutish accident. As Ukrainian workers 
side with various warring right-wing movements, they are sliding further from socialism to 
barbarism. The cure is well-known: we should realize our own class interests, organize at 
workplaces and direct our rage against the real enemy, not at each other. In days like 
these global workers? solidarity means very much. The global working class is doomed to 
eliminate itself: either in the process of social revolution and construction of a 
classless society or in the process of a barbaric all-out war.

No gods, no masters, no nations, no borders!

Autonomous Workers? Union ? Kiev

5 May 2014

From http://avtonomia.net/2014/05/05/awu-kiev-statement-odessa-tragedy/