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On May 2, 2015, actions were held in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and other cities to mark the first anniversary of the massacre of more than 100 people at the Trade Unions House in Odessa, a southern port city in Ukraine. This crime was perpetrated by the neo-Nazi regime of Petro Poroshenko, brought to power by a U.S.-instigated coup in February 2014 that overthrew President Viktor Yanukovych.
The Odessa Massacre was carried out by neo-Nazi gangs in collaboration with the police that attacked a peaceful protest of citizens of Russian and other nationalities as they collected signatures for petitions opposing the government. The neo-Nazis first burned the protesters' encampment, set up in a park across from the Trade Unions House. They then made and threw Molotov cocktails at the protesters as they retreated into the Trade Unions House to escape the violence. The neo-Nazis -- many carrying side arms, bats and other weapons -- followed them inside, beating and killing the protesters and setting them on fire. A number of the scorched bodies retrieved from the devastating fire that followed had bullet holes in their heads.
One of the main themes of the Odessa commemorative actions was to inform Canadians about what is going on in the Ukraine under the iron-heel of the Poroshenko regime which is fully supported and armed by the Harper government. It was pointed out at the rallies that the people of Ukraine face fascist terror every day and that the monopoly media has engaged in disinformation to prevent Canadians from drawing the warranted conclusions about what is going on in Ukraine.
Montreal
In Montreal, the rally took place at Norman Bethune Park across from Concordia University. In the context of explaining what is happening in Odessa, some of the participants explained how their friends and families in Ukraine have suffered death, the destruction of their homes, neighbourhood schools and hospitals. They pointed out that the Harper government must be held to account for openly supporting the neo-nazi government there.
Everyone sang "Sviachtchennaïa Voïna" (Sacred War), one of the most famous songs of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union (1941-1945), a song that cemented the unity of the people in the fight against fascism.
The organizers informed everyone of various activities taking place on May 9, the 70th anniversary of the Victory over Fascism, and called on everyone to take part.
Toronto
Victims of the Odessa Massacre were remembered in Toronto with a picket downtown across from Dundas Square. Hundreds of people stopped to watch the flash-mob style cultural performances of dance and music depicting the Odessa Massacre.
A march then wound its way through the city centre shouting: Harper Stop Supporting Nazis in Ukraine! No war in Ukraine! Stop Demonizing Russia! Canadian Troops Out of Ukraine! Canada/NATO Out of Ukraine! Remember Odessa! We Shall Not Forget! We Shall Not Forgive! It was pointed out that the brutality of the Odessa Massacre harkened to the days of the Bandera Nazi terror in Ukraine and is aimed at suppressing and terrorizing people into submission. The demonstrators opposed the Harper government's sending Canadian troops to the Ukraine as "trainers" for the Ukrainian army.
Activists of CPC(M-L) participated in the Toronto actions and National Leader of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada Anna Di Carlo spoke on behalf of the Party. She said all Canadians must hold Stephen Harper and the entire Canadian government to account for its role in backing an illegitimate government in Kiev and work together to defeat the war government of Harper in 2015.
The action ended with a minute's silence for the victims of Odessa and the release of black balloons outside the Russian Consulate.
Calgary
Vancouver
Vancouver
In Vancouver, a gathering took place in Stanley Park to commemorate the Odessa Massacre. Speakers addressed both the nature of this crime and the geopolitical danger of fascism being unleashed in the Ukraine by U.S. imperialism, with the assistance of the Harper government that, together with the U.S., is arming and training the coup regime in Kiev. The cultural component of the commemoration included poems and songs. Various speakers highlighted the need for an anti-war government in Canada that will not orchestrate coups, war, and occupation in other countries.
Janine Solanki, chair of Movement Against War and Occupation, emphasized that Canadians must take a stand against fascism and U.S. interference in Ukraine. Roger Annis, a retired aeronautics worker, reported on his visit to eastern Ukraine. He said the people there want an end to the civil war so that relations with the rest of the country can be normalized and their national and linguistic rights respected in a new constitution or other arrangements. Charles Boylan, representing CPC(M-L), laid the blame for unleashing nazi-fascist gangs directly on U.S. imperialism and its coup government. He outlined the danger of U.S. and Canadian troops in Ukraine, denounced the Harper government for its role there and demanded Canadian troops come home and that an anti-war government be established in Canada. He saluted the heroic people of Odessa and the whole Soviet Union for their historic victory over nazi-fascism in the Great Patriotic War, the 70th anniversary of which is May 9.
(Photos: TML, D. Nekhoroshkov, A. Bogatyrev)
(TML Weekly No. 19, May 9, 2015)