The Guardian 10 August, 2005
German Government
targets anti-fascist federation
Bob Briton
It was only a matter of time before the major capitalist countries got round to their other
targets in the so-called "war on terrorism". Last month the German Government acted on
advice from one of its spy agencies to declare the Federation of International Resistance
Fighters (FIR) an "extremist organisation of the left" and an "enemy of the constitution".
The timing of the decision is galling to progressive people the world over. This is the 60th year
since the victory over the Nazi-Fascist governments of most of Europe in WW2 and it assists the
growing revisionist trend in the presentation of history to exculpate the Fascists and to slander their
opponents.
The selection of the FIR has astonished observers on all sides of politics. It is a federation of 25
organisations in 14 countries. Its structure takes in all those who fought the Nazis and fascists in
the war years and is not exclusive to those associated with the Communist-led resistance
organisations. What the German government plans to do now that it has singled the FIR out for
special consideration is a major concern for the anti-fascists of today.
Federation Secretary-General Ulrich Schnelder has protested to Federal Minister of the Interior
Otto Schilly and demanded that he produce the evidence to support the claims of anti-democratic
activities on the part of the FIR. There has been no response to date.
Meanwhile, protests to the German government and expressions of solidarity with the FIR have
been flooding in from all over the world. In its message of support, the Portuguese Communist
Party reflected on its own long struggle with fascism:
"The PCP, which is proud to have given a decisive contribution in the resistance struggle against
the fascist dictatorship of Salazar and Caetano in Portugal during 48 long years, cannot refrain
from expressing its strongest protest and condemnation in view of such unprecedented and
unacceptable measure and expresses its solidarity with FIR — of which the Union of Portuguese
Anti-fascist Resistance Fighters (URAP) is a member — as well as with all anti-fascist fighters
around the world. Such solidarity is all the more appropriate when, together with this illegitimate
action by the German authorities, we witness a flare-up of the activity of extreme right-wing forces
that is met with passiveness and tolerance by the political leaders of that country."
The FIR has called on all progressive and democratic people and organisations to send messages
of protest about this outrage to the German government and the European parliament and to send
copies to the federation at bundesbuero@vvn-bda.deand info@solidnet.orgif
you have access to the internet. Send you protest to:
Ambassador Mr Martin Lutz
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
119 Empire Circuit Yarralumla
ACT 2600
Ph: 02 6270 1911
Fax: 02 6270 1951
E-mail: mailto:info1@germanembassy.org.au