WORLD WORLDWIDE FRANCE News Journal Update - (en) France, OCL CA #335 - March for the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 

In the context of Israel's war against Hamas, the demonstration in
support of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah planned for Saturday October 20 in
front of Lannemezan prison was banned by the prefect of Hautes-Pyrénées.
Imprisoned for 40 years Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, Palestinian activist,
co-founder in 1979 of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Fractions (FARL),
is the oldest political prisoner in France, although he has been free
since 1999! * -- Demonstration prohibited..? -- Despite the confusion
linked to the ban on the demonstration by the State which was only
lifted very shortly before the start of the rally (hearing on Saturday
21 in the morning, authorization at 1:15 p.m. for a rally scheduled for
2 p.m. ), numerous collectives, political parties, unions, activists
were present, coming from far away (North, Belgium, Paris, Marseille) or
closer (Basque Country, Occitanie, etc.) in order to demand, as during
the previous marches, the immediate release of the Lebanese communist,
activist of the Palestinian cause, imprisoned in France since 1984.

There were between 300 and 400 demonstrators (last year we were almost
1000 demonstrators). This significant drop in mobilization is due to the
ban on the demonstration which caused chaos and led to the choice of
certain organizations to cancel buses planned for departure from Paris
and Bordeaux; and who forced tireless activists to organize themselves
to make the journey from Paris on their own. On the other hand, buses
from Marseille were maintained.

The rally in Lannemezan this year took place not at the station but in
front of the Madrigal, a squat in a former hotel opened since 2019 by
the Yellow Vests and which, since then, has served as a rallying point
for many local struggles. A libertarian place, whose occupants-activists
had prepared to offer the demonstrators a warm welcome, with meals and
discussions, before also participating in the march.

The first speeches were made in front of the Madrigal
An activist from Collective 65 for the release of Georges Ibrahim
Abdallah recalled the ban on the demonstration, then the referral to the
Administrative Court of Pau which ended up authorizing it.
The spokesperson for the French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP) took the
floor to, among other things, recall the situation of Mariam Adudaqa,
this women's rights activist in Gaza and member of the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who came to France for a series of
conferences. Arrested on October 16, she was served in Marseille with an
"absolute emergency" expulsion order issued by Darmanin (another act of
repression), an order which was suspended on October 20 by the Paris
administrative court.
Two spokespersons for the CGT du Nord departmental committee spoke out
to reiterate their solidarity with their general secretary Jean-Paul
Delescaut, arrested for 'apology of terrorism' at his home on Friday
October 20 at 6 a.m. as well as an employee administrative secretary of
the union.
Among the demonstrators was a former Basque prisoner who served 32 years
in prison, including many years in Lannemezan alongside Georges. He was
unable to speak because his parole prohibited him from doing so.

The procession set off around 2:30 p.m. from Madrigal to reach the prison
The demonstrators launched lively and vindictive slogans: "He is part of
our struggles, we are part of his fight!"», "Palestine will live,
Palestine will win". No signs, but a few banners and many Palestinian
flags as well as political groups.
There was a mix of generations, but many young communists, Permanent
Revolutionists, anti-fascists; a very organized youth activist who
displays its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause as well as for
the different modes of struggle chosen by the Palestinian people.

In front of the prison
There were other speeches including that of one of the co-founders of
the Collective for the Liberation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah (CLGIA) in
2004.
The general secretary of the CGT departmental union of Bouches du Rhône
gave a speech of unconditional support for Palestine, and warned against
"those from our camp or who claim to be from our camp, who choose the
nitpicking, which contributes to blurring the ideological benchmarks and
suggesting that this conflict goes beyond class confrontation (...)
Either we are on the side of the workers or we are on the side of the
exploiters. Whoever puts himself in the middle of the barricade will
suffer on both sides (...)"
Other representatives spoke: the Belgian PC, the Permanent Revolution,
the NPA, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra, the Unitary Campaign for the
Liberation of Abdallah, Solidaires, the JCR (Revolutionary Communist
Youth ).

The telephone connection with Lebanese activists who were at the same
time organizing a demonstration in front of the French embassy in
Lebanon could not take place, due to technical problems.
Like in previous years, shaking of the prison gates, quite a bit of
commotion while hitting them with stones, responses from the prisoners
audible at times. A few stones thrown inwards, and smoke bombs burning
at the top of the grill.

The dispersal took place around 4:30 p.m.
The emotion was very strong, due to the situation in Palestine but also
due to the 39 years that Georges Abdallah spent in prison. The speeches
were more spontaneous than in previous years, more concise too, a little
more independent of political apparatuses.

Finally, a few hundred activists, despite the pressure, the bans, the
repression, did not ignore this mobilization of October 21, considered
as a priority to express internationalist solidarity, in the context of
an offensive murderous military force of the Israeli occupier supported
by all Western powers, including France and the United States.

Participants in the march

* intro of the Commission Journal, intertitles of the model

http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4008
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