Workers’ Liberty at LO fete

About twenty members and friends of Workers’ Liberty went to Presles, near Paris, for the annual fete of the French revolutionary socialist group Lutte Ouvrière, 23-25 May.

It was probably our biggest delegation ever. We ran a forum; talked with people and sold literature at our stall; sought out discussions with others there such as Socialisme ou Barbarie, NPA-R, Jinglei, Gauche Révolutionnaire, Yves Coleman of Ni Patrie ni Frontières, etc.

Our forum was on solidarity with the binational left in Israel-Palestine. We explained our view for self-determination for both nations in Israel-Palestine, Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, i.e., in practice, for Israel backing off and allowing a real independent Palestinian state, but not for overrunning or conquering Israel.

Some, from the floor, said Israeli Jews had “invaded” and had “no place” in the region. Others were not flat-out hostile to self-determination for both people, but said “two states” is not “realistic”.

We replied that our advocacy is not about advising diplomats on quick-fix “solutions”. Our proramme is only ever “realistic” to the extent that the working class, across national divides, takes it up, and self-determination for both is the only consistently-democratic basis for that unity.

The fete has been held every year since the early 1970s (except in 2020 with the Covid lockdown), and regularly brings in 20,000 people (with the sunny weather this year it must have been 30,000). Held in a park, it features hundreds of stalls with political displays, food, and drink; scientific expositions; and children’s games.

From the start, Lutte Ouvrière has allowed other left groups, French and international, to run stalls and forums there. For a while, the fete was probably the best place in the world for discussion and argument among the revolutionary left of different countries.

Although the fete itself has thrived, for some years now fewer and fewer left groups have taken up the invitation. But the fete remains well worthwhile as a chance to learn something about the culture, activities, and debates of the left and the labour movements of other countries. And fun.