8. Mai 2010 – 65. Jahrestag der Befreiung – Tag des Sieges

19. April 2010

65 years ago, on the 8th May 1945 humanity experienced the final military defeat of German fascism.

This day marks the people’s victory over an inhuman regime of Hitler
fascism,

• which exiled, pursued and arrested political opponents,
• which eliminated millions of peoples in the name of the „pure
  race“ from specific racial groups as Jews, Sinti and Roma, Slavic etc.
• which brought occupation and destruction to all neighbouring countries of
  Europe and even more in other parts of the world, a war which costs the life of
  more than 50 million people.

The fascist world domination plans were stopped by joint action of all
members of the anti-Hitler-alliance.

It has been done by the armed forces of the alliance, above all the members
of the Soviet army, which carried the main load of the war (27.000.000 military
and civil soviet victims), which smashed this threat also militarily.

It has been done by the partisans and resistance fighters in all occupied
countries, but also in Germany itself, those who gave their life for the liberty
of there own country. These national-liberation movements included women and
men, communists and catholics, liberals and social democrats, trade unionists
and although conservatives.

We honour all those patriots, the contribution of the antifascist alliance
and the peoples‘ national-liberation movements.

The 8th May 1945 is thereby the day of liberation and victory for all of
German fascism threatened peoples, the fighters against fascism of all
countries, all victims of fascist regimes.

This historical truth is increasingly displaced. The crimes of fascism are
relativised, collaborators rehabilitated or stylised too „freedom
heroes“. The International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR) –
Association of Antifascists keeps itself against all attempts to establish a
reactionary historical view – based on totalitarianism doctrine and historical
falsification – in Europe.

We remind on the occasion of this anniversary:

The 8th May 1945 marks the beginning of a new policy in the international
relations.

The common acting of all Nazi opponents created the basis to establish the
United Nations and to adjust the basics of international law, which represented
the basis for pursuit and condemnation of the main war criminals in the
Nuremberg Tribunal.

After the victory over nazi-fascism the peoples of several countries,
benefited, for the first time, from political, economical, social and cultural
rights which were inserted on its constitutions and its ordinary
juridical basis. It was also very important to reinforce the maintenance of
the anti-colonialist and antifascist fight in countries were these regimes
prevailed.

However, today, following the overturn in the former socialist countries,
the „right of the strongest“ is reinstated in international relations.
International Agreements and Rules of Law, created under the umbrella of the UN,
are being broken and dissolved.

That’s why we have to intensify our fight against imperialist intervention
and threats, against militarization and to bring the international law and
decisions of the UN back to power.

The common idea of all anti-fascists at that time was called „never
again!“ This is an obligation for today and tomorrow. Together with the
members of today’s generations we act

• against neo-fascism, extreme right and right-wing populism,
• against social exclusion, xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism,
• against war and terrorism as well as their social roots.

On the basis of the common fight against the barbaric fascism the 65 member
organizations of the International Federation of Resistance Fighters – FIR –
Association of Antifascists in Europe and Israel today stands

• for peace and disarmament,
• for political and social human rights, for democracy.

Thus we create a „new world of peace and freedom!“