Anti-fascist conference in Berlin in support of the 19th January demo

18 January 2024
14:30 - 21:00

"Left under pressure, migrant self-organization and visions of the Future"

Languages:  English / Ukrainian and Russian

Location: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, library, 2nd floor, Str. der Pariser Kommune 8A, 10243 Berlin

The 19th of January is the day on which, in 2009, our anti-fascist comrades Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova were murdered by the Nazis in the center of Moscow. This date has become symbolic for all those fighting against fascism in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics.

Here in Germany, we - Russian-speaking anti-fascist migrants - recognize the already well-known developments: the increase in xenophobic sentiments, right-wing violence and the fascistization of public life. Even according to official figures, 2024 was a record year in terms of the number of right-wing extremist motivated crimes in Germany, of which more than a thousand were violent. The attack in Hanau on February 19, 2020, in which nine people were murdered for racist motives, clearly shows what ignoring such threats can lead to.

Right-wing resentment has contributed to the acceptance of an imperialist war against Ukraine in Russian society. This war, in turn, has influenced the legitimization of violence both inside and outside the country, as well as the strengthening of right-wing sentiments and militarism throughout the world.

We believe that our experiences in the anti-fascist struggle can be important for our German comrades!

In support of the demonstration on the 19th of January, we would like to convene one day before at Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung to contemplate on the challenges the contemporary Left face. 

The conference will discuss the origins of the current pressure the Left deal with in Germany and post-Societ space, shed the light on the political work of the Left activists in emigration and possibly propose a vision for a (post-war) future in Eastern Europe.

The event will finish with a open workshop to prepare for the demonstration on the next day at 1 PM at Silvio-Meier-Strasse 2. Materials will be provided.

- Komittee 19. Januar Berlin

Conference Schedule:

14:30 Registration 
(for anonimity, use an imagined name)

15:00  “Why Stanislav Markelov’s figure is important today in contesting the far right internationally”
Alexander Bikbov, sociologist (online)

15:20 Panel discussion “The Left under pressure”
In the context of the current wars, the Left is under pressure from multiple sides. On one hand, their historical support for Palestine conflicts with official German policy. On the other, post-Soviet decolonial activists view decommunization as the only path to liberation. Finally, the rise of national right-wing militarism places the Left in acute physical danger. As a result, the Left finds itself facing repression from the German state, criticism from liberals, and attacks from the Right.

15:40 “Хто замовив Вiру Гандзюк?”
Алекс Машталер

16:00 “The war in Ukraine and The Rise of Russian Nationalism”
Arkadiy Vubec, Coordinator of Antifascist Europe Initiative

16:20 Discussion

16:40 Coffee break

17:00 Panel discussion “Left Migrants”
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, many left-wing activists have moved to the European Union, where they now find themselves as migrants and feel solidarity with others. How exactly can refugees from post-Soviet societies unite with migrants from other parts of the world under the idea of a Migrants’ International? Is it possible to politicize the previous generation of migrants from our region, who are prone to right-wing populism and depoliticization in diasporas?

17:00 “Decolonial/ Anti-Fascist/ Left: Exploring Conflicts and Prospects”

17:20 “Building Our Own Infrastructure”
MigrantCollective

17:40 Discussion

18:00 Afternoon snack

18:40 Panel Discussion 3. Visions of the Future
Post-Soviet leftist migrants are creating new communities, circles, and projects. Can we form something bigger: a party, a movement, a network, in order to: a) gain visibility and a position in international politics; b) propose our vision for the future of our region, presenting an archipelago of practices, ideas, dreams, strategies, and tactics that can overturn the nationalist propaganda of liberals and the rise of right-wing populism?

18:40 “Distance | The Gap”
In an attempt to answer the question of how to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, the protagonist of the film, a Russian female artist tries to find mechanisms of alliance and solidarity.
Teaser of the video work and artist-talk by Natalia Nikulenkova.

19:00 “Intersectionality and Political Divisions of Post-Soviet Migrant Reading Groups in Berlin”
Rocca Siffredi

19:20 “От слоганов к решениям: Набросок горизонта для антифашистской политики”

19:40 Final discussion and closing of the meeting

A workshop on drawing and making posters for the demonstration will take place after the conference.