Edinburgh launch of ‘Ukraine: Voices of Resistance and Solidarity’

Heckle is republishing below the details of a book launch event organised by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (Scotland) and taking place in Edinburgh’s Lighthouse Books on Saturday 21st January, 7pm–8pm. Both the book and the discussion will likely be of interest to those who share our support for national self-determination and opposition to all imperialisms.

Ukraine: Voices of Resistance and Solidarity

Speakers:

• Chris Ford, Ukraine Solidarity Campaign and co-editor of the book
• Taras Fedirko, Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, Edinburgh

The world is becoming an ever more violent and oppressive place. Competing imperialisms, some growing in influence, others declining, are jockeying for place in an increasingly unstable global order. Whole nations and peoples have been repressed or invaded, either directly by imperial powers or by their local allies. We have seen this in Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan, Palestine, Yemen and Xinjiang. Most recently, we have witnessed the bloody invasion of Ukraine, launched by Putin’s Russian empire on February 24th, 2022.

Putin thought that this invasion would be a walkover, and the USA and leading European powers initially thought so too. However, Putin’s invasion was met by the resistance of ordinary Ukrainians. Initially they were often unarmed, or only lightly armed. This in the face of Russian heavy artillery, air strikes and then tank-led troops. Women have been to the forefront of these communities of resistance and have been some of the main victims of the continuing occupation. The Donbas miners, with their history of opposition to exploitation and oppression by Ukrainian oligarchs, are also now in the front line of resistance against Putin and his kleptocrat backers. Women and the Donbas miners have already won widespread international solidarity.

This meeting, organised by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (Scotland), invites people to hear the arguments presented in the book, Ukraine: Voices of Resistance and Solidarity.

USC(S)’s New Year resolution is to help organise the solidarity necessary to support the people of Ukraine and end the Russian occupation. Self-determination, whether, national, social or individual, needs to be defended wherever it is threatened. Please come to this meeting and bring others along too.

• More information is available on the Lighthouse Books website and on Facebook.