Russia has been waging an imperialist war against Ukraine since February 2022, and anarchist comrades and activists from the left movement as a whole are engaged in a variety of ways to stop this aggression. However, the Russian invasion is not only being fought in Ukraine by Russian and Ukrainian anarchists, but also in Russia people are organizing to oppose Putin’s murderous policies from within. Regardless of how the war develops on the battlefield, it can only be ended with a true political change from below in the region. This is precisely why it is so important now to support those people who are organizing within Russian society and fighting for an equal and domination-free alternative – against oligarchic capitalism and against the imperialist war of aggression.
The funds from this fundraising campaign will go to two groups.
Firstly, to Solidarity Zone, a group that supports people in Russia who have rebelled against Putin’s policies and are now in ongoing judicial proceedings. Solidarity Zone not only organizes money and lawyers, but also takes care of housing during and after imprisonment, as well as, for example, food supplies in prison, as these are often insufficient and prisoners are dependent on outside help. Solidarity Zone works with all those who are accused in connection with political resistance against the state and its war and who describe themselves as left-wing. Furthermore, Solidarity Zone only works with people who do not cooperate with the state in their respective criminal proceedings and provide information to the state.
The second group we would like to support is the ABC Irkutsk, which was founded in 2011 and is active in Siberia. With the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the resulting deterioration of the situation in Russia, the group reorganized after a temporary standstill and has since focused mainly on anti-repression work. They support anarchists and also people with not exclusively anarchist views who are accused of committing anti-war activities (sabotage of train lines, propaganda, arson attacks on recruitment offices, etc.). While their focus is on Irkutsk, they also support comrades in Krasnoyarsk, Chita, the Transbaikalia region, and other places. They also organize lawyers, and the necessary money for those, as well as letter evenings and media work. The main goal is not to leave people affected by Russia’s prison system and police violence alone.
In addition to providing direct support to people in detention, ABC Irkutsk informs activists about current events and disseminates information to protect their physical safety. They also establish connections with human rights organizations and support them when needed. In the long term, they see their task as abolishing the prison system and seeking new methods of justice, because they see every day how repressive the state penitentiary system is.
This fundraiser is taking place over at FireFund, an anti-authoritarian crowdfunding platform. There you can contribute donations and find additional information about the progress of the campaign.