We are very concerned about attacks on the left and on the Palestine movement taking place in France following the death of a young far right protestor, Quentin Deranque. The death followed a fight between far right and anti-fascist protesters outside a university meeting in Lyon addressed by Rima Hassan, an MP for the French left organisation La France Insoumise (LFI). One of those charged after the fight is a parliamentary assistant to an LFI MP.
Since then there have been a bomb threat to the LFI headquarters in Paris, attacks on LFI offices around the country, the banning of LFI meetings in universities, death threats to individuals, and a media witchhunt against the party and its leader Jean Luc Melenchon. Politicians and commentators from the Socialist Party to the fascist Rassemblement National are attempting to brand the left as violent and are denouncing its campaigning against fascism and in solidarity with Palestine. Melenchon has repeatedly said that he is against all violence.
While any death in such circumstances is regrettable, it is worth noting that in France the vast majority of political violence has come from the far right.
We know in Britain that the far right and fascists are using violence against the left, ethnic minorities and migrants. They are a threat to democracy and to trade unions, campaigns, and left organisation, which is why we are supporting the demonstration against the far right called by The Together Alliance – The March to Stop the Far Right on Saturday March 28th in London.
The Palestine movement has been under increasing attack from the fascists and far right. Here we are seeing repressive measures from police and government to limit the right to protest and criminalise solidarity. Similarly in France, the government is planning legislation to ban certain slogans and to criminalise criticism of Zionism.
These moves demonstrate yet again that governments who support Israel are fearful of the mass solidarity movement and those who organise for Palestine.
We recognise the danger of the far right and fascism internationally, which is being funded and promoted by powerful corporate and political figures associated with the Trump administration and we are committed to opposing it. We therefore send solidarity to all those facing these attacks in France as part of the international movement for peace and justice for the Palestinians.
We look forward to welcoming hundreds of our French and other international colleagues to London for the International Peace Conference on June 20th. We remain one movement, international and unbowed.
Stop the War Coalition
Britain