Communist League, in the course of a press conference held in the League's Paris headq urters on 25 June, shortly after the premises hed been raided by the police. Four days after this press conference Krivine himself was arrested and charged with responsibility for the incidents that occurred during the anti-fascist demonstration. He is still being held without bail Let us begin by setting the record straight: we are not in favour of 'urban guerilla warfare", the rutal variety or any other sort. We don't believe that it is possible to take power by knock- guinea-pigs. The entire press has pointed to the ing off policemen one-by-one with molotov cocktails. It won't be 5000, 10,000 or even 100,000 demonstrators who will make the revolution. We employ violence as a minority when we are forced to do so and when we are certain such actions will be understood by the masses... Only the action of the masses can put a stop to the fascist bands. Similarly, only the mobilisation of the mass of workers can successfully drive back the attacks of the police and fascist bands against strike pickets.
RESPONSIBILITIES But we must live up to our responsibilities:
Tasciam must be crushed while it's still in its infancy, before it's too late. We may be young, but we have a better memory than our elders.
We do not want a repetition of what happened in the 1930's. There has always been the same reactions to fascism in the past: "they're not dangerous, there's plenty of time to take action, etc. ,.and then one fine day it's too late.
No freedom of speech for racists and antisemites! Since none of the traditional working-class and democratic organisations will face up to their responsibilities the revolutionaries have had to do it. We made June 21 a test, a national warning. We showed the way.
What took place was the fault of the authorities; they allowed the Nazi meeting to take place and provided it with protection. They deliberately made their police into targets as the protectors of Ordre Nouveal. The stateThe press campaign launched by the authorities after the 21 June demonstration requires a response and explanation on our part.
In particular, it appears that everythidg was done to unite the police in opposition to the demonstrators: perhaps with the intention of ment of Marcellin (French Home secretary | at Vannes, before the meeting, testifies to the fact that he was setting a trap, using the police as close collaboration of the police and the Ordre Nouveau marshals, both before and after the meeting.
A DETERMINED RESPONSE Ordre Nouveau is a tiny Nazi group, but it feeds off the development of fascist currents in the state and the police force. The armed bands of capitalism may be legal (the police, the army) or illegal (when the former are no longer adequate). The purpose of all fascist groups is to attack and weaken the working are no "democratic" responses which can adequately deal with such armed attacks. It is necessary to organise to defend ourselves, although this can only be completely successful with the mobilisation and involvement of the masses.
Racist and anti-semitic campaigns spread very rapidly and in a hysterical fashion. Take the examples of Grasse where a real witch-hunt against immigrant workers took place, of Nice where Ordre Nouveau try to deny the revolutionaries any freedom of expression, of the Paris suburbs where several Arab cafes have heen physically attacked over the past few days, or of the Communist Party offices which have been similarly attacked. ... All this demands an immediate and determined response.
It is essential to broaden the struggle: we are not going to play "war games" with Ordre The following is an open letter written by the Communist League to Gerard Monatte, Secretary of the Independent Federation of Police Trade Unions. The Independent Federation mumbers assigning the main responsibility for what happened on 21 Jare to the authorities, although criticising the demonstrators at the same time. Nouveau .... We have set an example. It is the duty of workers' organisations to follow our initiative by organising united action of all antifascists, without any exclusions. In this spirit we urgently appeal to all working-class and democratic organisations....
THE RAID In relation to the raid on our headquarters I have four points to make: 1. Who decided upon this operation? Why was a sentence removed from the second edition of Le Monde - that which stated that the appropriate authority was not aware of the raid" Who, which officials, which section of the police occupied the headquarters of the 2. Was there a warrant? No. Was the raid carried out on the pretext of being in pursuit of a law-breaker? Yes. But why did it take place 6% hows after the end of the demonstration? This excuse could no longer apply then. 3. The raid was conducted out of the sight of all those who were present in the bubding Pierre Rousset demanded to be allowed to observe the search. The reply of the police was to remove his trousers and lock him up in a small 4. Is the taking of hostages provided for in the holy writ of the law? 25 comrades were arrested, 14 charged for the sole 'crime of being present in the headquarters at the time of the raid .... The cops didn't for a single moment act in a legal manner. They smashed everything, even trampling on books. It was like a scene from the film "Fahrenheit 451.
WEAPONS About the weapons. It is not our political policy to stockpile these. We are not preparing for guerilla warfare at the moment, that would be absurd at the present time. The reason for about 80% of the total French police force in its ranks. The much smaller police unions affiliated to the Communist-led CG/and the Socialst Party influenced CFDT me both issued stasements brought to us ten days ago by someone we did not know. Was this a provocation or just irresponsibility? Those who received these guns were afraid they might fall into a trap if they tried to dispose of them immediately. They could have been seized the moment they were taken out of the headquarters. They decided to wait: this was irresponsible but it happened These two guns (one of which dates from the 1914 war!) were not hidden. Far from it, they were found in an unlocked cupboard. We consider this question to be a minor one. All organisations face such situations at one time or another (the Communist Party, the Socialist Party and ourselves).... The first to have been surprised must have been Pierre Roussel. As for the molotov cocktails, we do have a few for the defence of the centre, which was attacked by Ordre Nouveau just a month ago. The rest of our defensive supplies are just bottles of water and iron bars, that's all. Here again, all organisations keep such material in their offices. FREE PIERRE ROUSSET Pierre Rousset no longer takes part in any demonstrations (nor even in the selling of Rouge, for which one can also be arrested) since he re. ceived an 8-month suspended sentence. That's why he remuined in the headquarters that night. His arrest is an example of the "taking of bostages. We demand his immed isce freedom, We will launch a big campaign to get it. The 25 comrades arrested by the police and the 14 kept in custody were the object of many racist, anti-semitic and fascist insults on the part of the police.
We are starting a big fund raising campaign te pay for the damage to the headquarters and to develop the anti-fascist campaign. We are calling on the journalists to correct the bias of the press campaign against the League.
drove into the demonstration scattering the crowd, one demonstrator sullering serious injury to his legs. The other car turned up at the head of the march, which could be seen approaching from the distance; that is, he had plenty of time to get away This car was attacked, and the police in it badly