IndyMedia - Vrij Media Centrum Nederland

Being in the terrible conditions of the invasion, we want to draw attention to the interviews and activities of Bezlad group, which carry a clear danger to people of the Ukrainian left and minorities.

This is a letter from Ukrainian left wing Punks. Among us there are representatives of various genders and sexual orientations. Some of us are on the territory of Ukraine, some managed to leave for other countries. The horrific Russian invasion has turned our lives upside down, our friends and loved ones are in the war zone, some of us can be sent to the front line at any moment under Putin's bullets and missiles. We are all trying to the best of our ability to help other people whose lives have been destroyed by this inhuman war. But our hands fall and despair seizes us.

Kharkiv hardcore punk band Bezlad (https://instagram.com/bezladoi?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) has recently been on a European tour. This is hard to believe, given that Martial Law is in force in Ukraine and men from 18 to 60 are forbidden to leave the country, since at any moment they can be given summonses and sent to fight. You can leave Ukraine in three cases:
1) sons of officials and oligarchs
2) those who paid a huge bribe
3) who received special government permission

We are very happy for the guys from Bezlad that they managed to escape from this hell. But we are absolutely shocked that instead of bringing the truth about what is happening in our country, they say opinions that pose danger to us and other representatives of the Ukrainian left and minorities. In their interviews and personal communication with the European public, Bezlad claims that there are no problems with neo Nazis in Ukraine, defend neo-Nazi military formations such as Azov and officially supports the government of Ukraine.

We want to state that we, like many other Ukrainian leftists, do not share and do not support the position and statements of the Bezlad group. We believe that their irresponsible statements play into the hands of aggressor's propaganda and pose a great danger to the people of Ukraine and, first of all, representatives of the Ukrainian left and minorities.

In a recent interview published in Kids and Heros and idioteque:
https://idioteq.com/kharkiv-hardcore-skins-bezlad-discuss-the-war-defend...

The band claims that there are no problems with the Nazis in Ukraine, and all this is Putler's propaganda. Unfortunately, this mantra, regularly repeated by part of our left, not only does not oppose the propaganda of the invaders, but, on the contrary, works for it. Besides, it justifies both the past and future crimes of the Nazis, untying their hands in violence against the Ukrainian leftists and minorities.

Any person who has the Internet and 5 minutes of time is enough to make sure that the statement that there are no more Nazis in Ukraine than in any other country is not true. For many years, the leading world and Ukrainian media have regularly written that neo-Nazis have great power on the streets and have deeply penetrated its political, military and police structures. Just read this article:

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/neo-nazis-far-right-ukraine/

Significantly, the author of the article denounced Putin's invasion and stated that the Nazi problem was no justification for attacking the country:

"And, I mean, I cannot stress this enough: Support Ukraine. Support the people who are not white supremacists. That’s the overwhelming majority of Ukraine. Do not support this [Azov] formation. "

Here are more links to leading mass media talking about the problem of the Nazis that we face here for years:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cohen-ukraine-commentary-idUSKBN1GV2TY

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/ukraine-has-nazi-problem-vladimir-...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/14/neo-nazi-ukraine-war/

And this is just the top of the iceberg. Spend a little more time on the Internet, you will find even more. Maybe all these media sold out to Putin? Or are their authors stubborn tankis with a portrait of Stalin on the wall? It seems not - all these publications are constantly criticizing Russia, covering its crimes against Ukraine.

So our own media talk about the hate crimes of the Nazis here:

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/the-neo-nazis-who-dont-want-to-be-neo-nazis

Well-known enemy of the Putin's aggressor government Bellingcat writes about how the Ukrainian courts take the side of these Nazis and forbid our media to call Nazis Nazis:

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2019/08/09/yes-its-still-o...

Article about how neo-nazi groups attacking Romany getting state funds:

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-militia-behind-brutal-romany-attacks-g...

Here are articles about how the Ukrainian military and border guards discriminated against and used violence against members of minorities trying to escape from war-torn Ukraine right after the start of invasion:

https://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/roma-and-other-people-of-color-fleein...

This shows how strongly racism and other disgusting prejudices have penetrated the Ukrainian government and the army. And to lie about the fact that this is not - a spit in the face of the victims.

And why should Ukrainian anti-fascists need links to Western media, if we ourselves have experienced neo-Nazi terror in our own skin for many years. As far as we know, Bezlad musicians are no exception. For years, the Nazis terrorized our concerts, demonstrations, massively beaten minorities, our friends were imprisoned for self-defense, and the authorities supported all this.

Even during the Russian invasion, the Nazis from the Misanthropic Division and other gangs attacked left-wing volunteers from Operation Solidarity and other organizations. We know that part of the Ukrainian left is ready to unite with the right in order to protect our country from Putler's bloodthirsty hordes. Yes, only the same attacks on activists and other cases show that the Nazis do not need this friendship, they do not consider the left to be people and will mercilessly deal with us at the first opportunity. Why justify our sworn enemies inside the country? To harm Putin? Or to lose the credibility of the international left scene, some of which are already skeptical of the Ukrainian left, which is already a problem:

https://161crew.bzzz.net/krytyka-lewicowcyh-argumentow-przeciwko-oporowi/

We want to say the same about Bezlad's words in support of the Azov regiment.

Azov, Aydar and other formations were created by oligarchs from far-right football fans. The very ones that have always hated and attacked punks, antifa, lgbt, romany.

These battalions used neo-Nazi symbols, organized mass terror, torture, and murder of civilians in the east of the country, without understanding who supported the terrorists and who did not. And the stories that "now there is a different leadership and there are no Nazis there" are dangerous nonsense of the same magnitude.

Any person anywhere in the world, after reading the interview, opens the Internet and immediately finds a lot of publications in various world media about Ukrainian Nazi battalions and their crimes. For example, this:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/azov-far-right-fighters-uk...

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/who-are-the-azov-regiment

Or this - with reference to a report on massive war crimes by neo-Nazi battalions.

https://www.newsweek.com/evidence-war-crimes-committed-ukrainian-nationa...

And after that, people understand that the Ukrainian punk band Bezlad is lying, which means that there is no need to believe and support other Ukrainian hardcore, punk and leftist people.

Lying is the worst way to defend your position, because it will forever discredit you and everyone you represent. And no shouting about Putin's propaganda will help, since your lie itself works for this propaganda.

Unfortunately, the criminal invasion in our country has raised the priority of Azov and others, the locals see them as defenders from Russian invaders. True, until they face the defenders in reality. Civilians who were not allowed to leave the Azov began to tell German media Spiegel about the atrocities and cruelty of the Azov members.
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/425938.mariupol-halbe-wahrheit-im-spieg...

(We know that Jungewelt is communist media and often supports Ruscists propaganda but here it lists facts and also its read by many German left wing people)

But there is another side to all this defending of the Nazis, even more terrible than the loss of confidence of the global left scene. While Bezlad and part of the Ukrainian and Western left support the trend of excusing the Nazis, they are building a concentration camp for the Ukrainian left and minorities with their own hands.

It is ridiculous for any left-wing activist or just a punk from Ukraine to read that Azov is almost the defenders of the LGBT movement. Inside the country, Azov veterans and members of C14 and other formations have actively attacked minorities before, beat participants in LGBT parades, smashed exhibitions and burned books.

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/we-know-where-you-live-why-cases-of-attack...

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/one-dead-four-injured-in-roma-camp-attack

https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/far-right-activists-destroy-roma-settlemen...

Unfortunately, our left stage is already
could not resist them effectively. On the side of the Nazis was unity, combat experience, support of the state and public opinion. If, however, the Nazis and members of "non-Nazi" regiments such as Azov, through the efforts of the Bezlad group and their comrades-in-arms, receive indulgence for their crimes, this will finally untie their hands for beating and killing all those who are objectionable to them. The Ukrainian left and minorities will be their first victims.

This is especially scary now, when the border is closed to all men, and it has become much more difficult for the rest to leave because of the war. Thus, potential victims of the Nazis are locked up with both Ruscists attackers and local Nazis on Ukrainian territory. But no one in the world will pay attention to this, because Bezlad (who have already left for safe Europe) and the like will convince everyone that there are no Nazis in Ukraine, and Azov is just a military formation. Apparently, according to the logic of Bezlad, the suffering and death of the Ukrainian left and LGBT at the hands of declared Nazis should somehow harm Putin and his propaganda. But we do not yet see a logical connection.

And the last:

In posts on social networks "punk-hardcore" group Bezlad thanks the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Are you seriously?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg8_9b0jWLj/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

We understand that many people are ready to do anything to leave Ukraine. And many people even from the punk scene talk about their support for the government. But even in these conditions, the daily and public kissing of the ass of the Ukrainian government by members of the "skinhead-hardcore" group looks shameful.

We believe that the Ukrainian government, of which the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is a part, is also responsible for the huge sacrifices of Ukrainians and the unpreparedness for Russian invasion.

President Zelenskyy and his government say they knew in advance when the war would start. Why was there no preparation, why weren't bomb shelters built, stocks of medicines made, evacuation organized? Why was this done mostly by volunteers? Why are untrained people taken to the front, but government creates problem for people who are ready to fight?

How can a punk band support such a government that doesn't care about its people, that leaves people in need?

We understand that the group Bezlad is allowed to go on a European tour as part of some government program. Real anarchists and leftists who are ready to tell the truth about both Putin's criminal invasion and real problems with the Nazis and the government in our country, no one would release them. But maybe then the Bezlad group should perform not at punk concerts with European left, but with the European right? There, their stories about the justification of the Nazis and corrupt politicians would be more appropriate.

The Bezlad band is safe, playing shows and traveling. They are not in the trenches under fire from Putlers artillery. We consider Bezlad's position to be irresponsible and treacherous towards the people of Ukraine, the Ukrainian punk and the leftist scene. Let them continue to be dishonored. We will survive and win even without them.