The French Libre Pensée is well-known in France and abroad for its permanent campaign in favour of the separation of the State and Religions. They also wage other campaigns, such as pacifism and antimilitarism. Indeed, in the same manner as citizens should not be submitted to religious obscurantism and pay for the cults they do not practise, they should not be the victims of wars. Aggression wars which we witness, today as well as those of the past, are waged by government on behalf of economical and financial circles, but the peoples are the victims. That is why the French Libre Pensée organises and supports pacifist rallies especially around pacifist memorials that exist in about fifty French communes. Those memorials were erected after WW1 to recall the memory of the great slaughter and to claim that it never happens again. Among those pacifist memorials, the one at Gentioux, in the centre of France (Creuse department) is the most famous. There is an orphan on it showing his fist to the words “A Curse on War”. Every year, on November 11, on Armistice Day, a big demonstration is held at that place. About a dozen other demonstrations are also held around such memorials, more or less important on the same day.

In recent years, the pacifist and antimilitarist campaign of the French Libre Pensée has gathered momentum in a campaign to clear the names of the soldiers executed as an example during WW1. Those soldiers who were found in all the belligerent countries, where those who refused to get killed or who were chosen by drawing lots in the units that refused to fight. They were shot by their own brothers in arms under the supervision of officers who wanted to impress their troops and force them to fight. The British government pardoned the 300 British soldiers who were court-martialled a few years ago. What was possible in the UK should be made possible also in France and undoubtedly in Germany or in Italy, too.

The French Libre Pensee has found partners in this campaign. For two years, the French Libre Pensee, l’Association Républicaine des Anciens Combattants (Republican Veterans Organisation), Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (Human Right League), l’Union Pacifiste de France et le Mouvement de la Paix (Pacifist Organisations) have been working jointly for the pardon of the soldiers shot as an example during WW1.

They have demanded the pardon to the government and have come into contact with the authorities to meet this demand.

Those organisations have jointly agreed to make of this 2008 rally in Gentioux (Creuse), in front of the famous pacifist memorial, the climax of their mobilisation for this judicial action. The national leaders of the different organisations were present in Gentioux.

It was a big challenge and a success. You have to bear in mind that Gentioux is a small village in Creuse, lost in the centre of France, far from the main roads, and generally it is cold and rainy on November 11.

This year, one thousand Free Thinkers, secularists, pacifists, democrats, took part in the rally, with a host of Free Thinkers banners and flags, in spite of the weather and the distance. It was a challenge and the Libre Pensee warmly thanks all those who were present.

The previous day, the same organisations were welcomed by the Mayor of Aubusson, the neighbouring town, in the great hall of the Labour House, which reminded Marc Blondel, the Libre Pensée President, of many souvenirs.

The following day at Gentioux, all the speeches were in the same mood. Here is the report of the newspaper “La Terre” (“The Land”): “On this day of mourning, the village is lying under a cold, grey sky. But there is also humane warmth… Stratos Kalaizits, President of the Secularist Council of the Pacifist Memorial (which is in charge of the rally): “The Great War initiated the mass massacres that are still continuing today” and the national president of the Mouvement de la Paix added: ”32 billion euros were allocated to the Defence Department in 2009, which is a 5.4% increase compared with 2008, making this budget a political priority. The cash box is empty, they say. But there are still public funds to prepare wars”… Hence, the regional delegate of LDH, Monique Beyssen, highlights “the importance of continuing the struggle for the pardon of these soldiers, because, like all men engaged in an armed conflict, they did not give their lives for a country, rather they fought for Liberty, in the past as well as in the present.”

The spokesperson from ARAC, in a very moving speech, recalled the long fight of the organisation, founded by Henri Barbusse, and bore witness of active solidarity for this noble cause. On behalf of the Union Pacifiste, Maurice Montet said: “Those men were the victims of the greatest denial of justice in History. This tragedy remains an indelible scar in collective memory, adding to the absurdity of war. Why are there in villages those who gave their lives for France and those whose names are not pronounced, or who are even regarded as traitors, whereas they were all living the same painful events, the victims of this filthy slaughter? The National Committee for the Pardon of the victims of courts martial was established as early as 1919, presided over by Blanche Maupas, the widow of one of the Executed. She fought during twenty years to get the pardon of her husband and his comrades. She said: “Which is the guiltiest a regime of war that allowed assassinations or a regime of peace which deliberately imposed indescribable tortures on innocents who were demanding the pardon of their relatives?” “We remain faithful to our predecessors of the Union Pacifiste, militants of Ligue Internationale des Combattants de la Paix who were engaged to fight for this pardon between the two wars”. Then the Fédération Anarchiste took the floor.

The recognition of our struggle for justice

At the same time as the President of the Republic in his annual Armistice Day speech at Douaumont – where one of the bloodiest battle took place - publicly recognised the legitimacy of the struggle to pardon those executed as an example, although he did not draw the logical conclusion to repeal the rulings of the courts martial and to proclaim collective pardon, Marc Blondel concluded the rally (see the speech) firmly demanding the collective public pardon of all the executed. Then one thousand participants sang the Song of Craonne, which always gets you in the guts.

Then, 350 people took part in the banquet at Royère de Vassivière. … Christian Eyschen took the floor to announce that, after President Sarkozy’s speech, the struggle should go on and that we should make every collective effort to get the pardon (see the open letter to the President).

Fourteen rallies for the same struggle

Gentioux

Besides the Gentioux rally, other rallies were held in front of pacifist memorials in France. At Primelin (Western Brittany) they were 80 people with the Libre Pensée, UPF, CNT and ARAC. At Nancy (North East France) they were 200 participants with Libre Pensée and Chorale des Sans-nom (The Choir of those without a name). At Ampuis, near Lyon, with the municipality, Libre Pensée, ARAC, LDH, they were more than a hundred participants for the pardon of second lieutenant Chapelant, shot on a stretcher as an example.

At Joyeuse in Ardèche, there are 60 participants with Libre Pensée, Mouvement de la Paix, PCF (French Communist Party), ARAC, UL-CGT (local council of Trade Union), Fédération Anarchiste, Parti Ouvrier et Indépendant (Independent Workers Party), CNT Fédération des Œuvres Laïques (secularist organisation). At Toulouse, there are 30 participants with Libre Pensée, LDH, ARAC, Mouvement de la Paix in front of the house where Jean Jaures lived. At Saint-Martin d’Estreaux, 80 people took part in the rally with the municipality, Libre Pensée and UL-CGT. 60 people attended a public conference with David Gozlan, deputy general secretary of Libre Pensée on “Privatisation of the Armies”. They were 50 at the banquet that followed.

At Aniane in the south of France, they were 200 participants with a General Councillor, ARAC, Libre Pensée, LDH, Amis de Jean Jaurès (The Friends of Jean Jaures), Mouvement de la Paix and 100 at the banquet. At Bourg-en-Bresse, many people gathered in front of the Tree of Liberty. At Escaudain (North), with the municipality, Libre Pensée, ARAC, UPF and LDH delivered speeches after the ceremony. At Château Arnoux (Southern Alps), they ware also 40 people with Libre Pensée and Mouvement de la Paix. The rally was followed by a banquet. At Ouveillan (Aude) and Creil (Oise), the Libre Pensée also held rallies in front of pacifist memorials. In Val d’Oise (North West of Paris), the second antimilitarist cabaret gathered about fifty participants around pacifist and antimilitarist texts and songs.

Everywhere the same demand: pardon of all the executed as an example!

The voice of justice, coming form the heart of the country, was heard everywhere in this month of November, 2008, on the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1. in the ralies that followed the one at Gentioux, the open letter to the President of the Republic was massively endorsed. We call on our readers to do the same, to send it to the Palace of Elysée and to launch a mass public campaign. We have to win, we can win!

This campaign is our contribution to the struggle for peace and against the wars. By getting the pardon of those who said NO TO WAR yesterday, we want the right and the duty of disobedience to become a principle of behaviour for today. At a time when war exists on all the continents, often with the participation of French soldiers, it is also an means to fight against the wars and for peace.

St Martin d’Estreaux