The 'dissolution" of the Communist League, the arrests of Alain Krivine and Pierre Rousset, the police mids, and the sacking of the League's headquarters, should not be seen as extraordinary events, mere interruptions in a 'normal" situation. They are well-thought-out actions of the capitalist order, taken in response to the rising tempo of the class struggle both in France and throughout the other countries of Western The machinations of the govemment had two main aims. Firstly, to strike a blow at the Communist League: Secondly, to strengthen an "independent' trade union within the police force, which is Tavourable to fascian, at the expense of the autonomous union, which orgunises the majority of the police foroe and has increasingly come into conflict with the present Minister of the Interior's ideas on law and order.
The call put out by the Communist League for an anti-fascist counter demonstration was not aimed at sparking off street fighting, or urban guerrilla warfare, in which the revolutionary vanguard would substitute itself for a mass demonstration of the working class. Quite the contrary. The Communist League's initiative was almed at drawing the attention of workers to the growing threat of the fascist groups, developing under the cover of government cooperation. The purpose was to show that the only way to defeat fascism is through organised and effective self-defence of the working class, rather than futile appeas to the capitalist state.
Several thousand people marched from Charing The Order Nouveau organisation is only the lip of the iceberg Beneath it le more ominous dangers, such as the so-called trade unions' of the French Confederation of Workers, supported by the bosses in order to sow terror in certain factories. Morcover, the present de composition of the UDR [the governing Gaullist party-eds.] is giving rise to a series of dangerous develop ments, notably displays of racism and antisemitism. From these fascist currents are beginning to emerge, which at a later stage could become a threat on a mass scale. The Governmont set up by Messmer | Gaullist Prime Minister of France -eds.] is now straining to gather together the energies of a decrepit capitalist class. At the same time it is confronted by a powerful upsurge of the mass of the working class, who are moving towards a socialist solution to the crisis of the capitalist political order.
In the course of less than six months, a series of mass movements have shown that the elections were a hollow victory for the Gaullists, Hundreds of thousands of secondary school and college students poured into the streets, challenging the purpose of the capitalist army. Tens of thousands of women, supported by the vast majority of the population, defied the oppressive anti-abortion laws, Intellectuals and artists have gone into struggle against the "moral order" proclaimed by the Minister of Culture. Most importantly, in every region of France, the working class including unskilled workers, immigrant workers, and the most highly skilled-are fighting not only for better conditions of work and a better standard of living, but against the capilalist system itself. This mass upsurge was for a brief period bottled up by the hope of an electoral victory for the "Union of the Left', but is now breaking out agin with even greater force It was in these conditions that the Government, worried about the growth of the League (limited as it was), decided to launch its operation, The ideu was to crack down on the strongest organisation of the far left, in what could be described as a "preventative" operation. The success of the оро was to be assuca by ene isolaton of this group from the masses.
The French Government's calculations failed all along the line... the entire working class move ment and alongside it broad democratic forces denounced the Government's manoeuvre and took up the delence of the Communist League and its militants..
The French labour movement and the mass of French workers have responded with a unanimity that has rarely been seen in the past. Internationally, demonstrations of solidarity have taken place, particularly in those European May "68 had the greatest impact, and where it was most clearly understood what was at stake in this situation.
The Communist League remains "dissolved" Alin Krivine and Pierre Roussel are still in prison, and many Trotskyist militants are still being harassed. Solidarity must therefore be stepped up both in France and internationally, to obtain the lifting of the ban, the release of those in jail, full freedom of expression, organisation and action for revolutionary organisations (in particular the right of the Trotskyist press to appear without hindrance), and the ending of all anti democratic measures taken by the French Government since May 68. But the struggle will not reach its conclusion in the restoration of the rights torn up by the arbitrary actions of the Government. The class struggle in France is moving towards decisive trials of strength. For the international revolutionary vanguard the fight to drive back che Government's re pressive offensive will be just a first step in preparing for the great struggles to come, in which the working clans will face capitalist forces defending their profits and privileges by every means at their disposal, and fighting more ferociously than ever because their backs are to the wall The United Secretariat of the Fourth Internatio nal pledges ils full solidarity with the French multants who have been subjected to this repression. The French Trotskyist movement, bom in 1929, has known many set-backs. It met the bloody trials of the Nazi occupation and countries close to France, where the example of the Petain regime (pro-Nazi wartime government -eds.] with courage, Dissolved after May *68, it bounced back stronger than ever with the creation of the Communist League in the following year, We have every confidence that this latest test will undoubtedly likewise end in the further strengthening of the Fourth International in France United Secretariat of the Fourth International.
In the first instance, the dominance of left-