A-Infos (en) Russia, AIT: Solidarity with the anarchist group "Assembly"! (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

On August 2, 2025, the Konvulsismo collective, which organizes 
solidarity evenings with musical concerts in support of anti-war groups 
around the world, held an event in Berlin to raise funds to help the 
anarchist anti-militarists from the group "Assembly" from Kharkov. The 
smear campaign launched by pro-war pseudo-anarchists against the Kharkov 
anarchists prompted Konvulsismo and their friends to issue a statement 
"From Vinnytsia to Berlin: Against "anarcho"-militarists and their war 
propaganda".

The event on August 2 was the second for Konvulsismo in Berlin. Before 
that, they held an evening in support of the organization "New Profile", 
which helps Israeli deserters and conscientious objectors. As the 
organizers of the evenings write, "the second Konvulsismo event became 
the target of a disinformation campaign by the group "Good Night 
Imperial Pride", which is in turn associated with the so-called 
"Solidarity Collectives". These pseudo-anarchist groups accused the 
"Assembly" of... a pro-Russian position - a standard slander against 
those who do not intend to unconditionally support the Ukrainian state 
in the ongoing war. As a result, Konvulsismo notes, it was necessary "to 
change the location of the event within a few days and replace a 
significant part of the list of participants. Fortunately, thanks to the 
support of comrades and friendly musicians, the evening passed without 
any problems, in the spirit of a decisively anti-militaristic and 
internationalist political position". As a result, it was decided to 
issue a statement against the unfolding "campaign of threats, 
intimidation and slander". The text of the statement, in particular, reads:

"War is raging all over the world. The one that has officially pitted 
Russia and Ukraine against each other for three years now (and in 
Donbass since 2014) serves only as an accelerator of European 
rearmament. Since the general mobilization of 1914, the "sacred unity" 
of classes has always served as an instrument of power for the ruling 
classes in their quest to suppress mass protests and unite the 
subordinate classes under their flag against the enemy nation. As 
internationalists and anti-militarists, we, Konvulsismo, refuse to 
participate in this idiotic, deadly game. On the first evening of 
Konvulsismo, we supported Israeli conscientious objectors. This time, we 
raised money for the "Assembly" collective from Kharkov (Ukraine). 
"Assembly" organizes everyday solidarity in the fight against forced 
mobilization. In a military slaughter, we are always on the side of the 
deserters."

The statement goes on to expose the "ridiculous disinformation campaign" 
against the Assembly, "full of the wildest claims and accusations 
against the group that it is allegedly pro-Russian." "Anyone familiar 
with its activities and publications knows the truth," which is that the 
Assembly condemned the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine and 
organized aid in Kharkiv for civilians affected by the bombing and 
shelling. But the group also does not support the Ukrainian state: "... 
in view of its internationalist position, the group rejects joining the 
Ukrainian army, defending the Ukrainian state and its ruling class, and 
refuses to support the murderous policies of the military apparatus 
against its own population." The Assembly supports desertion and 
opposition to the military effort on the other side of the front line as 
well. Konvulsismo calls the assertion of the "anarcho"-warriors that 
"true anti-militarism" is supposedly "carried out at the front with 
weapons in hand" an "Orwellian inversion", since this only provides the 
state with a "constant influx of cannon fodder". The authors of the 
statement remind that the military formations in which the Ukrainian 
"anarcho"-warriors are members "are subordinate to the Ukrainian army". 
However, these militarists do not represent all anarchists in Ukraine. 
"Contrary to the opinion that seems to have become a consensus among 
some leftists and anarchists, we want to emphasize that anarchists and, 
more broadly, anti-authoritarians and revolutionaries in Ukraine are not 
a homogeneous group. Based on the picture of the so-called 
anti-authoritarian brigades, groups such as "Good Night Imperial Pride", 
"Solidarity Collectives" and others seek to make anti-war initiatives 
invisible. In doing so, they play into the hands of the Ukrainian state 
and portray such initiatives as pro-Russian, although the "Assembly" and 
other internationalists support deserters on both sides of the front." 
"While these groups advocate patriotic "anarchism", the state for which 
they kill and die is waging a war against its own population, - 
emphasize the Konvulsismo activists. - Since the beginning of the war, 
the so-called national unity has relied on forced mobilization into the 
army." Recalling the difficulties with mobilization on both sides of the 
front line and the increase in desertion, Konvulsismo highlights the 
recent mass protest in Vinnytsia as an example: "Ukrainian and Russian 
workers are well aware that they have nothing to win in this war. Thus, 
literally on the eve of the evening of solidarity, hundreds of 
protesters, despite the curfew, joined a demonstration in Vinnytsia, 
demanding the release of men detained by the military conscription 
department. The protesters stormed the stadium where those detained for 
refusing military service were being held; they were met with tear gas 
and arrests. "Assembly" is one of the few anarchist information channels 
that reports on uprisings, rebellions, riots and strikes against forced 
mobilization, while the Ukrainian state is trying with all its might to 
convince its population to join the war effort." "This horrific scenario 
is the result of the progressive militarization, especially in Europe, 
but also its driving force. Against the background of the deep crisis of 
capitalism and the escalation of the conflict between rival powers, the 
military death industry is the only perspective that this world can 
offer. In Germany, this finds expression not only in the debate about 
the reintroduction of conscription, but also and above all in the 
increase in military spending - in contrast to cuts in the social and 
educational sphere: a form of militarized general austerity. This 
escalation of violence is expressed throughout Europe in the 
strengthening of national borders and the racist persecution of 
migrants...". In conclusion of their statement, the Konvulsismo 
collective and its supporters reiterate their position: "Neither 
supporting the West under the pretext of being 'democratic', nor 
supporting the Russian or any other regime under the pretext of opposing 
US imperialism, can be an option that serves our liberation. In the 
situation of the ongoing war in Europe, our position is that we will - 
where we are - show even more solidarity, such as with internationalists 
from Ukraine, such as the Assembly collective, and with the struggles 
there, especially if the states in which we live are directly or 
indirectly involved in the military conflict. This is not about 
supporting one side or another - this is a matter for all kinds of 
nationalists, be they anarchists, leftists or rightists. It is a 
question of fighting the death industry, those who profit from it, and 
the world that produces them - here and now." The collective proclaims: 
"Solidarity with deserters on both sides of the front line! Freedom for 
all arrested conscientious objectors! Against war, its death industry 
and those who profit from it! For a life worth living!"

Text of the statement by Konvulsismo and its friends: 
https://libcom.org/article/vinnytsia-berlin-against-anarcho-militarists-their-war-propaganda

https://aitrus.info/node/6328
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