MORE THAN 60 people gathered outside the
Ukraine embassy in London on Saturday to mark the
first anniversary of the
Odessa massacre when dozens of people were killed as fascist thugs attacked an
anti-Maidan protest camp and set the Trade Union house on fire. No one has
faced trial for these murders, and so its anniversary was marked around the
world yesterday, including in London.
Alex Gordon from
the rail workers union, RMT, spoke about the illegal coup in Kiev last year,
and the burning of the Trade Union house in Odessa. Alex explained why it is
important for people in Britain to demand justice for Odessa.
He highlighted
the significance of the date of the massacre 2nd May, for this was
the date in 1933 that Hitler’s storm troopers shut down and in many cases
burned down the Trade Union offices in Germany, and Alex said that the defeat
of fascism was only temporary and that we had to fight it again today.
“We must demand
solidarity with those who oppose fascism in Ukraine and justice for the people
of Odessa killed for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,” he said
and appealed to “socialists, trade unionists and those who defend democratic
rights” to express their outrage. He added: “British people should be demanding
that the BBC stops telling lies and tells the truth about a massacre.”
There was then a
minute silence for the victims followed by the release of 48 black balloons
into the sky, each balloon representing the known victims of the massacre.
Amongst those
present there were people from many nationalities, including Ukrainians,
Russians, Spanish and others, as well as members of socialist and communist
organisations and a contingent from the Bristol Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity
group. The banner of the RMT Paddington branch, which played a crucial role in
the setting up of the campaign, was also proudly displayed.
The protesters
then moved on to the Marx Memorial Library where there was a picture exhibition
about the Odessa massacre.
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