Irish socialists, anarchists and trade unionists have come together to form Irish Left With Ukraine and show solidarity with the resistance.
On 24 August 2022 members of the displaced Ukrainian community in Ireland held a march to mark six months since Russia invaded Ukraine. Independent Left members joined with other socialists, anarchists and trade unionists to give out a leaflet in the name of a new group: Irish Left With Ukraine. We were there to show solidarity with the Ukrainian resistance and, in particular, with Ukrainian workers.
One of the major weaknesses of the ‘evasionist’ left and ‘campist’ left is that they treat all Ukrainians as supporters of Zelensky, or, worse, fascists. But Ukraine has a vibrant and strong trade union left, a socialist movement, a feminist movement, LGBTQ+ activists, disability activists, etc. These are our comrades. They are fighting for survival AND for a socialist Ukraine.
Independent Left are proud to stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian comrades, both in Ireland and elsewhere. It is extremely encouraging that those on the left in Ireland who support the Ukrainian resistance have come together to develop this solidarity between the Irish Left and the Ukrainian left and materially assist their struggle.
The Irish Left With Ukraine group are working with Ukrainian socialists and have enormous respect for the difficulty of their activity.
The basic principles of the group are:
◦ Russian Troops Out of Ukraine Now
◦ Refugees Welcome Here
◦ Self-Determination for the Ukrainian People
Neither Moscow nor Washington is a strapline for the group.
ULWU supports the European Network for Solidarity With Ukraine: https://ukraine-solidarity.eu/
Dublin Councilor John Lyons gave a speech at the march, emphasising our support for the resistance in Ukraine and the existence of a new, united left campaign.
See also here for the Tomás Ó Flatharta blog’s report on the ILWU activity on the day.
All I can say is this is a correct policy to take.