Tomás Ó Flatharta

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Archive for the ‘Elected Left for Ukraine’ Category

International Women’s Day 2023 in Ireland – Show Solidarity With the Women of Ukraine – Wednesday March 8, The Spire, O’Connell Street, Dublin

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On 8 March, Wednesday, #IWD an International Women’s Day march assembles 17.30 at The Spire, Dublin.

The Irish Left with Ukraine, part of the European Network with Ukraine will attend will attend to show our solidarity with the Ukrainian resistance and the Ukrainian feminist resistance.

. #IWD2023March

Links : https://www.facebook.com/groups/irishleftwithukraine @EuropeanWith https://ukraine-solidarity.eu/

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The Irish Left’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine – Debate on the letters page of the Irish Times – Part Two

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We published a post covering the Irish left’s response to Russia’s imperialist invasion of Ukraine on February 25 :

https://tomasoflatharta.com/2023/02/25/russias-imperialist-genocidal-and-ethnic-cleansing-invasion-appeasing-putins-aggression-will-not-bring-peace/

We included references to an Irish Times letter signed by 12 Oireachtas public representatives ((TD’s and Senators) – which prompted several critical replies. One of the original Oireachtas 12, Senator Tom Clonan, responded positively to the critics.

On Wednesday March Ivana Bacik TD (Labour Party Leader) joined the discussion – robustly stating

We believe that it is misguided for anyone on the left in Ireland to call for a ceasefire, without making any reference to the need for Russian withdrawal from this illegal and barbaric occupation

Ivana Bacik TD, Irish Labour Party Leader
Ivana Bacik TD (Irish Labour Party Leader) and others discuss the Irish left’s response to Russia’s imperialist invasion of Ukraine

Ivana Bacik’s letter is below, along with a number of other letters.

Left’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine

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The first anniversary of the imperialist military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022 – Statement by Irish Left With Ukraine (ILWU)

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The Ukrainian people are foremost on our minds as they suffer under and resist the Russian invasion. Anyone who considers themselves an opponent of imperialism should be in support of their resistance.   

We in the ILWU — socialists, anarchists, feminists, trade unionists, anti-imperialists — have watched with dismay, however, as many on the Western left who have campaigned vigorously against US imperialism have failed to recognise the need to do the same with respect to Russian imperialism. If Ukraine has the right to self-determination and to resist the dismemberment and partition of their state then Irish socialists should expend their energy on seeking out practical means of supporting the Ukrainian people’s struggle. This struggle echoes the same fight Ireland undertook over a century ago.

Some left-wing organisations oppose deliveries of weapons to Ukraine. They are fast becoming isolated in the international labour movement. Trade unions, social movements, and organised left-wing parties across the European continent are mobilising in support of the Ukrainian right to self determination.

Indeed some left-wing organisations oppose deliveries of weapons to Ukraine. They are fast becoming isolated in the international labour movement. Trade unions, social movements, and organised left-wing parties across the European continent are mobilising in support of the Ukrainian right to self determination.

Support Irish State Mine Clearance in Ukraine

The ILWU makes this statement to publicly register our support for Irish assistance, by the Irish Defence Forces, with mine clearance in Ukraine. Mine clearance is humanitarian work that will save lives, will clear land to enable farming, and will make towns and villages habitable once again. Defence Forces personnel will use their specialist demining skills to train Ukrainians in this activity.

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Elected Left for Ukraine Launched

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Left-Wing elected representatives launch global solidarity network with Ukraine

Declaration [English, Deutsch, Polski, Español, Catalá, Ελληνικά, Italiano, Français]

List of signatures here.For more information: representatives@ukraine-solidarity.eu

“Without the mobilisation of the working people of Ukraine in their millions, the country would never have withstood Vladimir Putin’s criminal invasion one year ago. Now they need solidarity from working people everywhere to help win their country’s definitive liberation.”

“Without the mobilisation of the working people of Ukraine in their millions, the country would never have withstood Vladimir Putin’s criminal invasion one year ago. Now they need solidarity from working people everywhere to help win their country’s definitive liberation.”

With these words, Stéfanie Prezioso, deputy for Ensemble a Gauche in the Swiss Parliament, announced the formation of the global network Elected Left for Ukraine.

Prezioso said that the network will build support for Ukraine’s military and civil resistance among left and progressive elected officials from all levels of government.

One of the first signatories is John McDonnell, British MP for the Labour Party, and a founder member of his country’s Ukraine Solidarity Campaign. He is joined by Argentine MP Juan Carlos Giordano (Labour and Left Front) who recently visited Ukraine with material aid for Ukrainian trade unions, and to learn more from feminist and left groups resisting the Russian invasion. They are joined by more than 50 representatives from Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Argentina, Brazil and Peru, elected at municipal, regional and national level, and in the European Parliament.

Søren Søndergaard, deputy for the Red-Green Alliance in the Danish parliament, who joined Prezioso in announcing the initiative, explained that the Elected Left for Ukraine network will mobilise political solidarity and material aid to Ukraine’s trade union, feminist, environmental and human rights organisations.

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