France sends "Action Directe" leader back to Jail

international | crime and justice | news report Friday December 05, 2008 11:55 by Vendeval

something for everyone

1987 saw the French state arrest four members of the former libertarian communist armed group Action Directe who were then charged & sentenced to life imprisonment for a career of terrorist assassinations mostly targetted against business individuals during the period of '79 to '87.

Last year Jean-Marc Rouillan was allowed "semi-liberty" probation status outside of prison. Then he gave an interview to the French "L'Express" newspaper exalting terrorism and armed struggle.

Jean-Marc Rouillan, "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

this is what he said :-

«Il faut clarifier les choses: le processus de lutte armée tel qu’il est né dans l’après-68, dans ce formidable élan d’émancipation, n’existe plus (...) Mais, en tant que communiste, je reste convaincu que la lutte armée est nécessaire à un moment du processus révolutionnaire.» =

"I remain convinced that armed struggle is necessary at certain moments of the revolutionary process.". http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/action-direc....html

It was quite frank & forthright. No beating about the bush and using silly code words or jargon. Accordingly the French courts decided to charge him with their equivalent of the Spanish state's exaltion of terrorism law & have just ruled that he be put him back in prison.

Which ought prompt us to make comparisons with other blood thirsty groups. The career of the micro-grouping AD anacronistically followed the pattern set by the Bader Meinhoff & Italian left wing groups a generation before with the obvious exception that both German & Italian grouplets of that 60's to 70's era had operated in a Europe filled with fascist, ultraright groupings and state sponsored death squads. All states which bred such groups have with the notable exception of the Spanish state long since abandoned such silliness. The activities of AD may have preluded the antics of Basque extortionists ETA of present, who alone of the 9 groupings which were active in the Spanish state of the 70's still continue terrorism. Though in fairness AD never shot a 71 year old for bulding a train line (as ETA proudly did this week) nor menaced an annual budget of several million euros from terrorised local small businesses. Nor did they find themselves in (through hope of peace) or subsequently out (through intolerance and disgust) of coalitions with small leftwing parties courtesy of a myriad of proxy "party political" organisations as ETA's only political allies did yesterday being abandoned in city councils by the last leftist and nationalist parties which would vote with their proxy ANV.

Amnesty International who joined a wide campaign of leftist groups to see the DA4 released (c/f http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR210012001?op...G-FRA ) have not so far made any comment on this latest twist in the Action Directe story.

But for most people, young or old, direct action no longer means this sort of thing. Armed struggle is a losers' psychopathic lark & unless you can use carrier pigeons to run your comms and logistics (try loading a dove with explosives) then you're going to get caught - done - dusted - reviled and ultimately ignored.

links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Directe_(armed_group)
news in French http://www.libemarseille.fr/henry/2008/12/jean-marc-rou....html
website of AD - http://www.action-directe.net/