have been allowed to run wild in many places in Italy, particularly in Sardinia, and at certain universities: the police have given them a free hand. The magistrates, too, have had a free hand. exhuming vicious tascist laws from the Rocco Code of 1930. This Code was never specifically repealed, although many of its clauses are in flagrant contradiction with the postwar Kepubican consutton. in additions. many of the magistrates now at the top of the neap age factor, they have now reached the top.
Normally these laws are kept under wraps, but for the Bellocchio case a truly incredible list has been trundles out: 5 clauses covering "antinational propaganda "incitement to hatred between the social classes" and the catch-all 'incitement to commit a crime" (this last has also been used against Feltrinelli). The kind of phrases which have been found to offend are as follows: "The only solution is the revolution: "the violence of the state can be resisted"; "men according to their class condition. This last porase carries a possible z-s years imprisonment for "incitement to hatred between the social classes. on ine urst day or bellocenio s triai. nis delence argued tnat the case should go straight to the Constitutional Court for adjudication, since all the charges could be held to be in violation of article 21 of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech and the press The judges allowed that 2 of the charges, connected with Class hatred should pondered by the jury of 6, which then withdrew. After 4 hours deliberations thev came to pronounce that although there was, indeed, class conflict in Italv. it should not be described in such a way as to promote class hatred...The Juages rule tat the case soule go forward on all 14 counts.
A REVOLUTIONARY SITUATION. THE FAILURE OF REFORMISM The great upheavals of recent months have shown that the militant proletarian vanguard almost completery escapes tne control of the established organizations, PCI, CGIL. From une capitansts point or view, une accumulation of capital has been seriously jeopardized. The so-called 'centre-left" political formula is itself in question (in fact, it was a centre-right, course). Above all, the working class-and the intelligentsia,-have seen that the alleged the postwar period are utterly Army, initiated by the Ligue Communiste, Mussolini's rule: by virtue of the generation and Is assuming greater momentum by the week. Increasing numbers of conscripts are retusing military discipline with the support of a massive civilian propaganda campaien On 29th October three soldiers were held in une centra orison or mennes on charees of inciting soldiers to disobedience and attempting to weaken Army moral. They were sentenced on February 6th; Devaux, got a yet. rovHeux. electrician got eight mor ths, and Herre, a technican. cot tour moasner came was having a copy of Crasse en l'air, and a petition. The magazine denounced the brutality and repression of army life, the petition protested against recent incident in their barracks when a young I conscript filed a complaint against an officer who had struck him, something he was permitted to do by army regulations, and found himself under arrest.
The Ligue's campaign is aimed at establishing an anti-militarist movement inside and outside the army. As the repression intensities so does support for ine campaign, with petitions, lass meetings, demonstrations oned soldiers.
The campaign's first steps have been to mobilise youtn against untninking authority. the obedience to conscript army attempts to inculcate, and secondly to raise support for those who are ruthlessly punished for refusing to be sheep.
Hundreds of thousands of have signed the Ligue's petition for the release of the soldiers. The list includes the names well known intellectuals like Sartre, and militants from the PSU, the PCF,.
CGT and organisations. Regional committees TOE the liberation of the soldiers have been set and in Rennes itself a meeting Rocard orew 3.500 I ne meeting was supported by local trades councils and schools, but was denounced by the French Communist Party, the PCF, as 'provocation'. On the evening OT the meeting all soldiers were confined to barracks and were told that a subversive and anti-militarist event was being held The Fascists turned out in strength and were ejected from the meeting. Then. under the benevolent eye of the police and the para military CRS, they made several attempts to force the doors.
The campaign is receiving full coverage in the Ligue's paper Rouge and a special pamphlet has been produced. Called The Army: from national service to serving capital, it has striking cartoons by NON roe or me military and the appalling material conditions for conscripts in the most archaic army in Europe.
As the young men who lived through May go through their national service, the army's routine IS suffering severe shock. The only way to avenge those now in prison is to take their fight. Insubordination within the army will weaken French military strength, and the impact of the civilian support can play an important part in the class struggle. For ultimately the French bourgeoisie will to use the Army against the working class. This campaign and others like it will help to ensure that the army turns against its officers, and gives its guns to une proretarial.