1\ I wonder if @JPHornick @KingsleyKwok know about the pro-#Russia rhetoric coming from the hosts of Toronto #MayDay2022 they're attending tomorrow? Some white boys astroturfed an "indigenous" protest to tie Indigenous issues to #Donetsk/#Luhansk "self determination".
2/ In early April, I asked about Indigenous participation/endorsement. I was told by a member of @may1labour "The poster was designed by an #Indigenous artist." I asked the artist for comment. The response intriguingly disavowed official Indigenous "endorsement" or involvement.
3\ My conclusion: in an #election year they've tricked an #ONDP candidate into endorsing and appearing at a rally whose core organizers are pro-Russia, appropriating Indigenous issues to conflate them with Donetsk/Luhansk, tying Unions/the @OntarioNDP to Putin's genocidal war.
4\ The "Labour May Day" committee includes groups like Socialist Fightback. "Ben" @marenlensky is an admin for the LMDC. Fightback routinely colonize POC/Indigenous issues to platform bizarre Trotskyist politics. Here are their recent Ukraine takes. There's red flags alright.🙄
5\ The committee also includes people like Julius Arscott from Socialist Action which has been unequivocal in both echoing the "self determination" messaging but also organizing against NATO and clearly articulating DPR support, and broadcasting pro-Russian propaganda.
6\ In response to my questions, the committee, and organizers Michael Caro-Curtis (@cupw ) and Tynan Liebert (@CUPEOntario) ignored good faith media requests, blocked me, libeled me, "banned" me from May Day, called me "CSIS", a "Pinkerton", a "class traitor", "bourgeois" etc. 🙄
7\ The head of Caro-Curtis's own local, Qaiser Maroof @cupw, is slated to address the May Day crowd. From what I understand, some union members have already taken it upon themselves to express concern over the pro-Russia tone of the event and its organizers.
8\ For an event billed as an Indigenous protest there is only ONE Indigenous participant, confirmed this week, months after posters went up and 3 weeks after I first made inquiries about Indigenous participation. Gary Wassaykeesic is listed as a speaker.
thestar.com/news/canada/20…
9\ Fun fact: Gary's co-accused above is anti-vaxx, convoy supporter Miguel Avila-Velarde. Miguel was shielded from criticism for his "grayzone" stance by the same crew organizing "anti-NATO" demos at a 🇺🇦🇨🇦politician's office. Gary is in the photo. It's a tiny pro-Russia faction.
10\ Also worth pointing out that at least one volunteer putting up the poster in question is Khalil, a ghoulish pro-#Russia #Z troll who was doing entryism in the "anti-hate" scene. Khalil caught a recent ban from Twitter after several bouts of verifiable hate speech.
11\ It honestly seems like the only May Day participants without trash Ukraine takes are the Union/NDP participants who paid for, or are speaking at the event. Maybe it's escaped notice they're unwittingly falling into a pro-fascist, pro-Russian cesspool. Maybe it's witting?
12\ Then there's other serious questions about alleged financial malfeasance, and an unauthorized contribution made to the Labour May Day committee (Tynan specifically) by @ATUlocal113. Allegedly the donation was recalled but the LMDC voted to keep it. New protest swag! 🎉🥳
13\ I'm not up to speed on all the internal dramas. I can confirm that there's ample evidence of the dwindling number of endorsers and participants, as well as the weird pro-Russia rhetoric which has been confirmed by other internal and external sources.
14\ I'm pro-Indigenous and working class. I think May Day is important. I have marched in past years. In its present incarnation it is corrupted, under the sway of pro-Russia organizers who astroturfed a fake Indigenous protest. After some deliberation, I'm blowing the whistle.🚨
15\ Might as well tag @M_AbuAlqasem @bredovsk since your names are on this. If you don't believe me, go read Tynan's lengthy apologia for Russia's actions and ask yourselves if this is something your unions, and the @OntarioNDP should endorse. facebook.com/tynan.liebert/…
16\ I could do a whole thread on why pro-DPR/Luhansk secession sentiment is actually overt fascism but it's not difficult to figure out. Here's the president of the DPR Denis Pushilin posing with the "anti-Gay purges" warlord Ramzan Kadyrov. Here he is again, honouring a Nazi.
17\ This thread mirrors the increasingly clouty "Labourwave" movement which seeks to tie alt-left "vapourwave" aesthetics with pro-fascist ideas and "labour" movement sentiments. That's a pro-Russia psyop, and so unfortunately is this year's May Day rally.
18\ Apologia for wars of aggression has no place in "left" spaces or the labour movement. Soviet sympathies once ran rampant on the left, now Russia isn't even communist, just fascist. Don't let history repeat itself, we're letting the European left down: freedomnews.org.uk/2022/03/04/fuc…
19\ And to be very clear, before the inevitable caterwauling, threats and harassment begin-- I've been meticulous in my documentation, and rigorous in my efforts: giving @may1labour multiple opportunities to comment, engage in a constructive dialogue, or set the record straight.
20\ Tl:Dr the #MayDay event in Toronto has this weird appropriative, pro-#Russia "edge" to it, a bunch of institutions got suckered into backing it. If we had time I'd say "shut it down", but it's tomorrow so maybe just commit to purging these ideas from left/labour spaces.
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