(The following statement appeared in the July 7 issue of La Gauche, weekly newspaper of the Belgian Trotskyists.]
The Political Bureau of the Ligue Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs [Revolutionary Workers League], Belgian section of the Fourth International, met on June 28, 1973, and declared that it vigorously protests against the ban on the Ligue Communiste, French section of the Fourth International, which was issued because of the role the Ligue has played in the antifascist struggle and more particularly because of its energetic action against the Nazi and racist meeting of Ordre Nouveau.
This antidemocratic measure is part of an offensive waged by the international bourgeoisie against the militants and sections of the Fourth International. This offensive includes:
Preventing the American Trotskyists of the Socialist Workers party from belonging to the Fourth International; using electronic bugs against the Ligue Marxiste Révolutionnaire [Revolutionary Marxist League], Swiss section of the FI; placing travelbans on several leaders of the International, among them Ernest Mandel, Livio Maitan, Tariq Ali, and Charles- André Udry.
This antidemocratic measure of the bourgeoisie, which is not even able to respect its own legality, testifies to the political and economic crisis of the capitalist system, especially in certain countries.
In face of this situation, in face of the workers struggles that are developing, the bourgeoisie is getting ready its weapons: setting up a mass fascist movement in Italy, reconstituting fascism in France, holding an indemocratic movement.
The LRT launches an urgent call to
The IRT launches an urgent call to all workers organizations, whatever their political differences, to form a united front for the defense of democratic rights. The attack against a part of the workers movement is an attack against the whole movement. L