Activists from International Ukraine Anti Fascist Solidarity (IUAFS), and members of the Workers Party of Britain, held a vigil in memory at the Ukrainian Embassy in London today, 2 May to remember the Anti-Maidan heroes who died at the House of Trade Unions in Odessa on 2 May 2014.

For the first time since the formation of IUAFS in 2017, a pro Zelensky counter-protest was held in front of the embassy, including people wearing Azov emblems, one of whom held a sign saying “We killed the protesters in Odessa”. However there were around three times as many anti-fascist protestors as the Banderites.

There was a large police presence in order to avoid any conflict breaking out in front of the embassy, which is located in one of the most expensive areas in central London. Members of IUAFS approached the Bandera supporters to tell them we wanted to lay flowers at the embassy gate, but were told “It is forbidden”. 

We consulted the police who advised that this may lead to trouble breaking out, and it was decided to lay flowers under a tree across the road. The policy of IUAFS is that its campaigns are purely political, firstly calling on the British government to end all support and collaboration with the Kiev junta, and secondly to extend solidarity and support to all Ukrainian democrats and anti fascists in Ukraine and living in exile.

The Ukrainian protestors, who were holding Ukrainian, Romanian and British flags, shouted to the anti-fascist protestors “are you Russian? Do your support Hamas terrorists?”, and a man apparently from Ukrainian TV also filmed the IUAFS activists and also asked “Where are you from?”.

IUAFS will continue its campaign until democracy, freedom of the media, and the right for all peaceful, democratic political parties to operate freely in Ukraine are restored. We look forward to the day when Ukraine is free of NATO personnel and provocations, and all the national communities in Ukraine can live side by side together peacefully.