On Feb. 12 in Lyon, a fight broke out between neo-fascist and anti-fascist activists, not far from a conference held by La France Insoumise (LFI). As the newspaper L’Humanité revealed, the fascists’ tactics were to prepare a sort of ambush of the anti-fascists, together with a “feminist-nationalist” organization called Némésis. This is exactly what happened in February. They came armed and ready to fight. But this manoeuvre backfired: one of the fascist militants, Quentin Deranque, died two days later as a result of the blows he suffered.
Since then, the right and far-right have waged a campaign aiming to demonize the left, and LFI in particular, whom they accuse of being the source of all “political violence”. Quentin was hypocritically elevated to martyrdom, so much so that a minute of silence was held at the National Assembly in his honour. Honouring a fascist in government… just like in Vichy, France!
And of course, the mainstream media followed suit. After all, it’s common to hear this sort of slander on their airwaves.
This uproar has even had echoes in Quebec. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the PQ, said in an interview with Patrick Lagacé that Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of LFI, was “one of the most anti-democratic politicians, who calls for violence the most in French politics”, while also taking a jab at Québec Solidaire.
Selective outrage
The cynicism of this propaganda operation is evident. The accusers have absolutely no problem whatsoever with violence, as long as it serves their own class interests. For example, when police officers killed El Hacen Diarra on Jan. 15, the right, far-right and the French government looked the other way. This is not to mention the numerous murders of immigrants and “foreigners” at the hands of the far-right in France. Since 2022 alone, right-wing violence has been responsible for at least 12 racially motivated murders, and this is only the official figure. Encouraged by the continuous flow of xenophobic statements that spew from the mouths of politicians like Le Pen, Zemmour and company every day, the far-right kills.
Fascist groups also frequently attack activists of the “radical left”, including LFI. Notably, last spring, fascists stabbed two CGT [the main union federation] and Young Struggle activists holding a meeting in Paris. In Lyon, far-right groups have a common practice of harassing left-wing meetings and demonstrations. It was in order to defend themselves against these attacks that the Lyon-based anti-fascist group Jeune Garde was formed, which is now being accused of “political violence”.
For the bourgeoisie, “violence” is a variable geometry notion: it is acceptable or even legitimate when it comes from the police or the far right and when it strikes immigrants or the workers’ movement but unbearable when it comes from left-wing militants or workers.
Mobilize the working class!
A few weeks before the municipal elections and a little over a year before the presidential election, this vast campaign against LFI obviously has electoral ulterior motives. Shamefully, leaders of the “left” (more precisely, the right wing of French reformism) such as Socialist Party Secretary Olivier Faure, and LFI defector Alexis Corbière, have joined the accusations against LFI, hoping to steal some votes.
But beyond LFI itself, it is the entirety of the workers’ movement that is targeted. We saw this on the evening of Quentin’s death, when the offices of the Solidaires union federation were attacked in Lyon. This campaign aims to intimidate and demonize anyone who dares organize against Macron’s policies, against social inequality, against oppression, and, above all, against the regressive ideas of the far right.
LFI responded militantly, notably by organizing a large anti-fascist meeting in Lyon on Feb. 26. The unions, for their part, should not just passively observe this reactionary campaign and these implicit calls for violence aimed at Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s movement. The CGT in particular, which by its size and combativeness has positioned itself at the head of the French trade union movement, should be expected to lead the charge.
A united front of all left-wing organizations—political and trade union—must be formed to mobilize the youth and workers broadly against the violence of fascist groups, police brutality, racist attacks, the repression of trade union activists and the permanent campaign of stigmatization of immigrants and Muslims.
This is a question of the defence of our most fundamental democratic rights, but also of the unity of our class in the struggle against austerity policies, growing precariousness, the destruction of public services, the factory closure and all the other scourges that capitalism in crisis brings about.
