Several hundred people gathered in support of the uprising of the people of eastern Ukraine, against the war waged by Kiev and German endorsement for it. The rally was organised by a coalition of leftist forces ranging from the parliamentary party “Die Linke”, the peace movement to the groups affiliated with the Anti-imperialist Camp. Many people from eastern Ukraine or Russia joined in as well. The protesters shouted “Jazenjuk murderer, Jazenjuk terrorist” referring to the high level of repression across Ukraine and especially the violent attack on the Eastern protest movement. They demanded: “NATO and EU hands off Ukraine”. Though the mobilisation could not overcome the usual cordon sanitaire imposed on the anti-imperialist left, there is indeed a wide-spread popular … [read more]

1. Starting point The abandonment of the association treaty with the EU last autumn sparked the street protests. This alone bears witness of the social illusions into the EU and western capitalism in general on one hand and the political power of anti-Russian sentiments on the other hand. Both from an economic as well as from a political point of view, the treaty, which implied severing the close relations to Russia, would not have served the interests of the popular masses. In return the EU only has to offer austerity along the lines of the IMF adjustment programmes in southern Europe, further pushing Ukraine into poverty and periphery. The intensity of the protests can, however, only be explained by taking into consideration the social aspects. The pro-Russian elites commanded a … [read more]