Clément Méric, Anti-Fascist, Killed by Far-Right in Paris.

 

Clément Méric, Anti-Fascist.

An 18 years  old left wing anti-fascist activist, Clément Méric, a student at Sciences Po,  was declared brain-dead this morning. He was attacked in the  heart of Paris by skinheads.

“ Clément Méric, a student at the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Science Po) known for his anti-fascist commitment, was killed yesterday in Paris, near the Saint-Lazare train station, by a group of right-wing extremists,” the national secretary of the  Parti de Gauche, Alexis Corbiere has written on his blog.

Three young people of a “skinhead appearance”, including a woman, were involved in  jostling, exchanges of insults,  two groups of young people, according to preliminary results of the investigation by the 1st District  - Judicial – Police (DPJ) based on  ”eyewitness accounts.”

According to the first elements of the investigation, the skinheads came out and waited “with reinforcements” out in front of the store. The groups of young people then had a very violent altercation.” The victim,  Clément, “was struck by one of the skinheads armed with a  knuckle-duster. He dropped on the floor,  hitting a bonding pad in passing.” (Nouvel Observateur)

The Parti de gauche has declared that,

“l’horreur fasciste vient de tuer en plein Paris”.

The horrors of fascism have just come and killed in the middle of Paris.

They have put responsibility on the Groupe JNR (Jeunesses nationalistes révolutionnaires).

Witnesses say that one of the gang had a Swastika  tattoo and another had a Front National T-Shirt.

Links between the murderers and the FN have been vigorously denied by Marine Le Pen this morning on the radio station, RTL.

The FN leader then launched into what the Nouvel Observateur calls a “hallucinatory” defence of the far-right intellectual Dominique Venner who recently committed suicide outside  Notre-Dame de Paris  in protest at gay marriage.

The JNR have also denied any responsibility (see Libération for latest).

There have been calls to ban the far-right’s street-fighting groups.

Communiqué Solidaires (Hat-Tip Enty) Un militant syndicaliste et antifasciste tué à Paris par l’extrême-droite !

Extract,

Our anger and pain are compounded by the certainty that there remain many –  anti-fascist activists,  people exposed to homophobia and / or racism –  who could and can still be victims.

Today all our thoughts are with his family and his family and his comrade students in Solidaires Etudiant-e-s.

We express our solidarity to all of them.

This heinous act is inseparable from the surge in racist and homophobic attacks over the last months by right-wing extremists. This is the result of a climate of hatred spread, principally, though not exclusively, by the Front National and fascist factions.

Entdinglichung comments on this crime,

Kein Vergeben, Kein Vergessen!

Not Forgiven, Not Forgotten!

Important Update: Suspected killers just arrested: le Parisien, “Mort de Clément Méric : les auteurs présumés ont été interpellés à Saint-Ouen.”
Details on le Point site.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon Condemns Lifting the Syrian Arms Embargo.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon,  co-president of the  Parti de gauche, has condemned the lifting of the Syrian arms embargo.

Francois Hollande and the government just committed a serious offence against  peace by excerting pressure,  with Britain,  for the European Union to lift its embargo on arms exports to Syria.

“The lifting of the embargo aligns Europe with the United States and prevents it exercising pressure  in favour of a political solution to the conflict in Syria. This military escalation in Syria leads the Middle East to a dead-end.  The examples of Libya and  Afghanistan demonstrate that it is impossible to control the use of weapons once they are delivered. By committing the same mistakes in Syria, François Hollande has exposed France to  new threats and weakens our diplomatic power. “

This is the position on Syria of Mélenchon’s party, the Parti de gauche.

In condemning the recent Israeli raids on Syria they concluded (9th may),

More than two years have passed since a popular uprising against the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad began. It has turned into a war between foreign powers on Syrian territory in which civilians are the main victims.

All the foreign powers, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel on one side, and Russia and Iran on the other, seem determined to perpetuate the bloody conflict and to sacrifice the Syrian people on the altar of their own geopolitical interests.

The Left Party condemns again war-mongering policies from whatever quarter. They have  fuelled a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people and is inexorably destroying  Syria. We call for a ceasefire and negotiation, so that the Syrian people will finally decide their own destiny through democratic elections.

The Parti Communiste Français (PCF) has already outlined its position  on the lifting of the arms embargo (March 15th) ,

The French Communist Party condemns this decision for which there is no consensus even within the Syrian opposition. By contrast, it re-emphasises  the need to act to  end to the armed confrontation, and to create the  real conditions in which  the Syrian people can choose their own future, their leaders, and live in peace, democracy and respect for fundamental freedoms.

On the use of Chemical Weapons in Syria (Le Monde 29.5.13) the PCF states,

The latest news coming from Syria on the use of poison gas by the Syrian regime against combatants and the population is of extreme gravity.

The PCF would like to express its strongest condemnation of such acts, which are war crimes.

The conflict continues to worsen both domestically and regionally.

The interference of foreign armed groups continues to multiply on both sides.

Lebanon has suffered its first inter-religious and bombing of Beirut clashes. Israel carries out air strikes on Damascus. Turkey has seen  attacks and Iraq is concerned about jihadist intrusions into its territory.

It is urgent to stop this murderous escalation and put an end to the fighting.

The  Syrian population is  living a nightmare. The risk of regional conflagration grows day by day.

However, there is no military solution to the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people. Only the power benefits of this militarization.

The  International Peace Conference on Syria in Geneva must lead quickly to the cessation of hostilities and the opening of a political process for the Syrian people to determine their own future.

That is in a free Syria, democratic, independent and sovereign,  created after the demise of the Assad clan which runs the regime.

RMT to Resurrect ‘Vanity Politics’ of No2EU?

Bob Crow looks to Publish His NO2EU Manifesto.

One upon a time there was vanity publishing.

Now we have Blogs.

These are unfortunately subject to the cruel competition of site statistics and the tender mercy of comments boxes.

Nevertheless, there remains a promising avenue for those big-headed enough to assume the figure of nationally important figures with no heed paid to naysayers: vanity politics.

Apparently this can withstand anything.

So (Saturday’s Morning Star),

Britain’s Communists are set to meet RMT general secretary Bob Crow to discuss a joint left and labour movement approach to the 2014 European Union elections.

The Communist Party of Britain’s political committee decided this week to accept an invitation from the rail union leader, noting the EU’s role in attacks on the state pension age and welfare budgets across Europe.

“It beggars belief that any intelligent trade unionist can still believe in the great ‘social Europe’ myth,” argued the party’s trade union organiser Anita Halpin.

International secretary John Foster explained that, unlike non-EU states, Britain and other members were hamstrung by treaties that enshrine monetarism, privatisation and the market power of the capitalist monopolies at the core of the bloc.

He suggested: “The labour movement’s slogan here should be ‘No to the anti-social European Union’, for an exit with socialist policies.”

The party backed the Portuguese Communist Party’s call for “an exit from the eurozone with socialist policies” and reaffirmed their support for a referendum and Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.

In the 2009 European elections, No2 EU,

“No2EU – Yes to Democracy was initiated by the national Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) to . In n addition to the RMT, the coalition included:

• Socialist Party
• Communist Party of Britain
• Solidarity
• Alliance for Green Socialism
• Liberal Party
• Socialist Resistance
• Indian Workers’ Association

It also received support from some members of RESPECT and of the Socialist Workers Party.” Wikipedia

“No2EU received 153,236 votes or 1% of the national vote failing to win a seat at the European parliament and finishing in 11th place, behind Arthur Scargill”s Socialist Labour Party. “

The Independent Socialist Network gives some background to this latest vanity project,

European Elections 2014 – The May meeting heard the RMT have called a meeting of the original No2EU partners – SP, CPB, AGS, RMT – and TUSC– to discuss 2014.  If it stands, TUSC was floating possible electoral titles including ‘Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts-No2EUNo to Austerity’.  It was confirmed use of a veto would prevent TUSC participation in these elections.  It was again agreed to ask the CPB to join the SC

Concerns were raised about the racism likely to be engendered during the Euro Elections, and this should influence our campaign and electoral title.  The RMT suggested we make clear our socialist objections to the EU.  There was a danger of being seen as being in agreement with UKIP with a ‘No2EU’ label.

Danger!

Too right!

The Portuguese Communist Party, (7-8% of the national vote)  opposes the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and the revised Treaty on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

They believe, wrongly in our opinion, that “the European Union cannot be reformed. The other Europe that will spring from the struggle will be built, as reality is already showing, upon the ruins of the European Union. “(Here)

But, other Communists, and much of the European left, call for radical change within the EU. For a radical ‘People’s European Union’, a ‘social Europe’.

The French Communist Party, and its partners in Front de Gauche, by contrast,  stand for this,

Nous voulons une Europe affranchie du traité de Lisbonne qui respecte la souveraineté des peuples et qui soutienne des politiques de développement social et écologique.

We want a Europe freed from the Lisbon Treaty, one  that respects the sovereignty of peoples and supports European wide policies of social and ecological development.

They offer a wider programme which begins from this idea,

La France prendra l’initiative d’Etats généraux de la refondation européenne en faisant appel à toutes les forces politiques et sociales disponibles en Europe.

France will take the initiative to call for a General Assembly to Reconstruct Europe appealing to  all the available political and social forces in Europe.

This is, to say the least, ambitious,

But it’s a programme of hope, of unity between the peoples.

Unlike Bob Crow and his mates, who claim to believe in an “exit (from the EU) with socialist policies.”

The ‘socialist policies’ on offer in these conditions will be hard to find.

A withdrawal from the EU will lead to a carnival of reaction.

If this conceited enterprise has any effect it will help stoke the rightward fires of the anti-European UK lobby.

It will be: No2EU Yes to UKIP .

Lutte ouvrière. Life under François Hollande? “Worse” than under Nicolas Sarkozy

Fraternity: LO Style.

After high jinks with Jimas we return to the calmer waters of the left.

Well, kind of calm.

Last weekend was Lutte Ouvrière’s annual  Fête.

The comrades from the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty were mainly impressed by the continuous rain.

This is some of the French press reaction.

It will come as no surprise that  Lutte ouvrière does not like the French Socialist-led government.

Life under François Hollande? “It’s worse” than under Nicolas Sarkozy. That was the message delivered on Sunday May 19 at the annual celebration of  Lutte ouvrière  in Presles (Val-d’Oise), through its spokesperson Nathalie Arthaud*. A year after the Presidential election, when she received 0.56% of the vote, the former candidate strongly attacked the Head of State. She called him the “armed wing of the bourgeoisie.” Here.

The rest of the Le Monde article is only available for 2 Euros, but as I have a print copy I can say that Arthuad went on in this vein to run down the entire French left.

Libération reports that,

Mélenchon, under the guise of “radical appearance,” is  “politically hollow” and “opposed to the interests of workers.” Mocking his willingness to take the Bastille while aspiring to be the Prime Minister, she proclaimed her ” pride of not only taking part in the demonstration on May 5,” the call for the 6th Republic initiated  by the leader of the Left Front.

Libé goes onto cite something rude she said about the Parti Communiste.

Oh, and the Front National.

But what struck me in the original article was the glacial remarks Arthaud made about the Nouveau party anti-capitaliste (NPA).

They were severely  at fault for participating in the 5th of May demonstration and for dropping the word ‘communist’ from their name (as in Ligue communiste révolutionnaire).

The Le Monde article helpfully  noted that the LO leader is a municipal  councillor, elected as part of a Parti communiste français list.

This is indeed the case, “Conseillère municipale à Vaulx-en-Velin (Rhône) élue sur la liste conduite par le Parti communiste. “

We imagine the PCF are well-pleased with her remarks.

* Candidate for the  2012 Presidential election: 0,56 % of the vote  (202 548)

France, I Year of François Hollande, 150,000 March for Alternative Left Policies.

In Paris on Sunday up to 150,000 demonstrators marched for a  VIth Republic», and against “l’austérité et la finance”.

This was their way of marking one year of Socialist Party led-government and the election of President Hollande.

At the appeal of the Front de Gauche leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon many came to bring a “new broom” to French policies with real brooms, of all kinds.

This morning on French Radio stations supporters of the governing Parti Socialiste expressed their disdain for the sometimes colourful language used by their left critics.

But it was noted that François Holllande,elected with 51,6% of the vote Holland today gets only 25% backing in Opinion Polls.

Below are some reasons for this:

France: Unemployment Up.

Hollande stands accused of failing to offer a serious alternative to financial austerity that would change these figures.

Is there another way out?

At the Paris March  Pierre Laurent Communist Party), Eva Joly (left Wing Greens) and  Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Parti de gauche) argued for new radical left policies (Here).

As the first speaker said,

Nous sommes tous Grecs, Espagnols, Italiens, Irlandais, Portugais, Chypriotes et notre ennemi c’est la finance. La finance dehors, l’humain d’abord !

We are all Greeks. Spaniards, Italians, Irish, Portuguese and Cypriots. Our enemy is finance. Out with Finance! Put Humanity first!“