French Trotskyism 1952
Written: by Le Parti Communiste Internationaliste;
Source: Original leaflet to be found at: Association RaDAR;
Translated: for marxists.org by Mitchell Abidor;
CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2012.
On May 28, 1952, after a massive demonstration against the visit to Paris of American General Matthew Ridgway, the Secretary of the French Communist Party, Jacques Duclos was arrested after a pistol, a club, a notebook, and two pigeons were found in his car. The French government alleged the birds were carrier pigeons to be used in spying against France for the benefit of the Soviets. His arrest became a cause célèbre, and Duclos was released shortly thereafter. The pigeons, it turned out, were already dead and were scheduled to be Duclos’ dinner.
Into action to gain the liberation of Jacques Duclos!
The working class powerfully demonstrated on Wednesday May 26 its determination to prevent at whatever cost imperialism’s war preparations. The PINAY government sought to take revenge by imprisoning the secretary of the French Communist Party J. Duclos.
French imperialism needs to muzzle the working class and its organizations in order to prepare its war.
This is why, after having arrested hundreds of worker militants Pinay, under fallacious pretexts is attempting to strike a strong blow.
Today the French Communist Party is suffering the first shocks
If the government were to arrive at its ends
Tomorrow all working class organizations would be struck by the same measures, for the bourgeoisie cannot tolerate that any voice, however timid, be raised against its war plans.
Tomorrow the Socialist Party and the CGT-FO will also be victims.
Freeing Jacques Duclos is now the immediate duty or every militant and every working-class organization.
Will the Socialist Party and the CGT-FO again fail in their elementary task of defending the working-class?
The liberation of Jacques Duclos today is the guarantee of the sustaining of fundamental democratic freedoms; it’s the working class riposte against the war preparations of Ridgway, Eisenhower, Pinay and Company.
Everywhere
In every possible form
By every means
Through struggle the workers will gain Jacques Duclos’ liberation
May 30, 1952
Le Parti Communiste Internationaliste (French section of the IVth International.)