Stop extreme right and neo-fascist forces in Europe!

31. März 2014

 

FIR expresses its great concern about the current situation in Europe, where extreme right and neo-fascist forces gain massive influence in countries of the European Union and outside the EU. For example, in Hungary they give the keywords for chauvinistic and racist policy, in Poland they exclude social minorities, in the Baltic states they operate with historical revisionism and in Ukraine – supported by representatives of European govenments, USA and NATO – neo-fascist and far-right forces get great influence in the current administration, which has been formed outside the Constitution law. Such policy is directed against social and national minorities and stands for war and expansionism.

FIR deplore that representatives of the European Union recognize such forces and massively promote such groups. Our idea of Europe is linked with the tradition of anti-fascist resistance, a Europe that ensures the social and political rights of all people. Therefore, we demand a clear attitude of all European authorities against extreme – right tendencies and neo-nazi groups in all European countries.

 

 

(Deutsch) Antifaschistischer Protest gegen SS-Verbände in Riga

19. März 2014

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Am Vormittag des 16. März 2014 protestierten Antifaschisten aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern auf dem Freiheitsplatz in Riga gegen den geplanten Ausmarsch der SS-Veteranen und ihrer jungen Verherrlicher. Nachdem es noch am Vortag zu massiven und schikanösen Behinderungen gekommen war, trauten sich die lettischen Sicherheitskräfte nicht, dies am Sonntag zu wiederholen, da viele internationale Gäste und eine große Zahl von Pressevertretern anwesend waren.

Am Nationaldenkmal auf dem Freiheitsplatz legten die Antifaschisten, unter ihnen der Präsident der Internationalen Föderation der Widerstandskämpfer (FIR) Vilmos Hanti, der Direktor des Simon Wiesenthal Zentrums Efraim Zuroff, Vertreter der Organisation „World Without Nazism“ und Mitgliedsverbände der FIR aus verschiedenen Ländern, gemeinsam mit den lettischen SS-Gegnern Gebinde zu Ehrern der Widerstandskämpfer und der Befreier Lettlands vom Faschismus nieder, bevor die SS-Veteranen ihren Aufmarsch starteten.

Unfreiwillig unterstützte die Polizei die Protestaktion, da sie die Antifaschisten an dem Platz festhielten, solange die Anhänger der SS vorbeizogen. Damit wurden die gut 1000 Alt- und Neofaschisten mit den Transparenten der Antifaschisten, die diese in Lettisch und Englisch vorbereitet hatten, und den Fahnen der VVN-BdA, der FIR und anderer beteiligter Organisationen konfrontiert. „Dieser gemeinsame Protest gegen SS-Verherrlichung und Geschichtsfälschung ist ein wichtiges Signal europäischer Erinnerungskultur“, kommentierte Vilmos Hanti, Präsident der FIR, die Protestaktion.WaffenSScard-latvian_web

Vote for anti-fascists in the European Parliament !

8. Februar 2014

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Call of FIR: Appeal for the European election campaign

In May 2014, the European Parliament elections take place . For veterans of the anti-fascist struggle and anti- fascists of today’s generations , these elections are important of two main reasons:

The current policy and development of the European Union does not correspond to the interests of large groups of people in the European countries. Numerous decisions lead to massive social exclusion, have disastrous consequences for the weakest of the respective countries. Therefore in the European Parliament , the votes must be strengthened , committed to a democratic , peace-oriented , solidarity and socially just development of Europe.

Secondly in various European countries racist and extreme right-wing forces growing up by the elections , which must be countered active and engaged in the election campaign and in Parliament.

FIR therefore calls on you in the European election campaigns to chose in all countries such men and women who work for a Europe

  • that confronts any form of racial discrimination or xenophobia,

  • that is an advocate for refugees and guarantees humane treatment,

  • that campaigns against all forms of Holocaust denial , historical revision and rehabilitation of SS criminals,

  • that ensures a social policy, which guarantees work, education, food and adequate housing for all human,

  • that stands for a policy of peace , based not on hegemony , but on non-military solutions to conflicts,

  • that represents a community for the interest of the people and not the rule of banks and business associations,

  • that stands for comparable living conditions in all countries and against forced labor migration,

  • that guarantees equality between peoples and nations, and no hegemonic policy .

Such an Europe is possible when the people stand up active and loud for their interests.

 

900 days – unforgettable

24. Januar 2014

 

The International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR ) – Association of antifascists sent to the inhabitants of the Hero City Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, and the veterans of the Soviet Army, best wishes on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of the city by breaking through the blockade on 27 Januar 1944.

The 900 days of blockade by the fascist armed forces brought untold suffering , death and destruction over the city. Nevertheless, people have fought in Leningrad almost three years heroically and – in that way – they resisted not only the fascist beast , but set also a visible sign for all the world that the ” invincible ” Wehrmacht reached its limits .

In the same time, the heroic deeds of the Soviet Army , organizing in the winter supplies for people across the frozen Baltic Sea and blowing up the blockade ring in January 1944 , are unforgettable.

We commemorate the more than one million victims of the blockade and honor the heroes who have sacrified their lives for the liberation from fascism .

 

(Deutsch) FIR Solidarität gegen terroristische Anschläge in Wolgograd

2. Januar 2014

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Mit Entsetzen und tiefer Trauer haben wir die Nachricht von dem erneuten Bombenanschlag in Wolgograd, der ehemaligen Heldenstadt Stalingrad, zur Kenntnis genommen. Wie schon im Oktober diesen Jahres haben erneut feige Terroristen an einer belebten Stelle der Stadt eine Bombe gezündet, die nur ein Ziel hatte, zufällig anwesende Menschen zu töten oder zumindest schwer zu verletzen. Solche Anschläge sind durch nichts zu rechtfertigende menschenverachtende Gewalttaten.
Die Internationale Föderation der Widerstandskämpfer (FIR) – Bund der Antifaschisten drückt insbesondere den Opfern des Anschlages und ihren Familienangehörigen ihr Beileid aus.
Alle friedliebenden Kräfte Russlands sind aufgerufen, sich solchem Terror entgegenzustellen. Gleichzeitig sollte darauf geachtet werden, dass durch solche Gewalttaten keine öffentliche pauschale Stigmatisierung von Bevölkerungsgruppen zunimmt, wie sie sich vor einigen Wochen bei rassistischen Ausschreitungen in Moskau entladen hatte.

First report in Bulgarian news-paper

8. Oktober 2013

“Kameraden” – Der Generalsekretär begrüßt den ältesten Gast des Kongresses, einen 103-jährigen bulgarischen Antifaschisten.

Successful congress in Sofia

7. Oktober 2013

FIR held in early October in the Bulgarian capital Sofia its XVI annual Congress. 45 delegates from all parts of Europe , from Portugal to Russia, from Denmark to Greece made a bilance of the successful work of the past three years and decided about future activities. Successful congress in Sofia Read the rest of this entry »

XVI regular FIR – Congress in Sofia

28. September 2013

Invited by the Bulgarian antifascist Union we have the possibility to held our next regular congress of FIR in Sofia, the town of Georgii Dimitrov. In the last weeks all member federations received the written invitation for the FIR-congress from October 5/6, 2013 in Sofia. Since the XV regular congress in Berlin we could experience a number of important developments of the political work. Activities like the ceremony for the 60th anniversary, the international youth meeting in Auschwitz, the ceremony of the Michel-Vanderborght-Award and the opening of the exhibition “European resistance” underlined the importance of the work of FIR. The actual political tendencies of right-wing development f.e. in Hungary and the up-growing of extreme right-wing groups shows the necessity of a strong and authorized to act organization.

Agenda 

  1. Political report of the president and the executive committee

  2. Discussion about the work of the past years and planning of new projects

  3. Election of the leading committees

  4. Resolutions to political declaration and other request

Exhibition “European resistance movement” in the European Parliament

24. September 2013

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8 July 2013 opened in the foyer of the European Parliament, the joint exhibition of the Institut des Vétérans and the International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR) – Association of Anti-Fascists about the “European resistance movement against Nazism” on invitation of the Vice-President of the European Parliament Miguel Angel Martinez and in presence of numerous members of the European Parliament, of employees but also of guests from the international anti-fascist organizations. The exhibition includes 50 panels for all European countries at that time were they have been involved in the fight against Nazism: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Great Britain, Soviet Union, Hungary, Albania, Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania.IMGP0054

The exhibition lives through impressive images and reproduced documents that underscore the small explanatory texts. In the selection of illustrations, which have often been given by the national associations of resistance fighters and anti-fascists, such images were particularly chosen, they show men and women of the resistance movement, they were able to express national characteristics of the combat and general trends. So you can find photos of the Slovak National Uprising, the Copenhagen general strikes, the Yugoslav partisan armies or the leaflet of the Communist Party of 1938 “Against the Jewish pogroms,” one of the few examples of public protest against the anti-Semitic attacks in Germany. The exhibition of course does not exhaustive, but it shows that the resistance movement has taken place in all European countries in different shapes and taking into account national peculiarities. All texts are available in three languages ​​(English, French, Dutch).

FIR awarded Michel-Vanderborght Price

24. September 2013

 

On an impressive ceremony at the second weekend of July the International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR) – Association of Anti-Fascists awarded the Michel Vanderborght Price in the ballroom of the Belgian Parliament in Brussels to eight personalities and initiatives. This prize, named after the Belgian Partisans and last president of the FIR, should honor those, which have been in accordance with the ideals of the anti-fascist resistance engaged for the preservation of historical memory, the social and political interests of the survivors and for the continuation of the anti-fascist legacy distinguished by special engagement against old and new Nazis.

 

At the opening of the ceremony spoke André Flahaut, President of the Belgian Parliament. He praised the merits of Michel Vanderborght and stressed how important today is the common democratic and anti-fascist resistance against extreme right and populist movements in various European countries. He stressed that the memory of the resistance was not only a historic task, but a responsibility to future generations to preserve the ideals of democracy, freedom and humanism.

 

 

After a short address by the President of the FIR Vilmos Hanti, who explained the intention of the price once again, the awards were given to the honorees. It was a Belgian national institution that has made a special contribution to the teaching of history, a Bulgarian historian who has made against the political mainstream preserving the memory of the resistance to the task for many years, a German initiative, that organizes financial and moral support for former forced laborers, a Greek painter, expressing in his pictures the experience of the anti-fascist struggle, an Israeli partisan who campained especially for the memory of the Jewish fighters, an anti-fascist committed journalist from Italy and – as a political feature – the representatives of the 13th Municipality of Budapest, oppose engaged the right mainstream of Fidesz and Jobbik in Hungary. In his acceptance speech, the mayor of the district underlined this recognition of the FIR as important to its actual political work.

 

By the Michel Vanderborght price of FIR these initiatives and volunteers were given thanks and appreciation of the international anti-fascist movement. In which tradition the organization and its award winners stands, documented the Institute of Vétérans and the FIR, presenting to the guests in the framework programm some exhibition boards of the first comprehensive exhibition about the anti-fascist resistance movement in Europe, which has been opened for the first time at the next day in the premises of the European Parliament.

 

 

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