In the pictures Basque town of Gernika, a conference was held on 22.04.23 to discuss fascism.
The Turkish section of the Anti-Imperialist Front, is constantly, continuously affected with massive attacks of fascism.
For this reason, in the conference was explainded, how and by which means the struggle against fascism is taking place in Turkey.
GERNIKA
There could not have been a better venue for an event under this motto than Gernika anyway.
Gernika gained a sad worldwide notoriety when the city was bombed to rubble by the German Nazis. The attack took place to support the fascist dictator Franco against the leftist, socialist, anarchist fighters. The consequences were devastating. 70% of the city was destroyed. 1500 people massacred.
On this occasion, Pablo Picasso painted what is probably his most famous work, “Gernica”.
It is an outcry against the horrors of war. And is intended to show the atrocities of the Nazis.
RADIO INTERVIEW
On Thursday, 20.04.2023, a radio interview took place before the event.
The representatives of the Anti-Imperialist Front gave an interview to the radio station Bulzaka 97 Irration.
They explained how, when and why the AIF was founded. They talked about the now traditional annual symposia. The impressive Grup Yorum concerts, which contain a mass character with over 1 million visitors.
In the interview, they did not forget to tell about the solidarity hunger strike of Konstantina, who is actually on solidarity hunger strike with Eda Deniz Haydaroglu.
Eda Deniz Haydaroglu, in turn, is on an indefinite hunger strike against article 129. The interview went into detail about the feodal, fascist and imperialist anti-terror act 129.
COMMEMORATION FOR ALEXIS CASTILLO
On Friday 21.04.23 a commemoration was held for Alexis Castillo, who died in the Donbass. Alexis Castillo is a Basque with Colombian roots. He fell in Donbass on 28.04.23. His body was brought to the Basque Coun
try.
CONFERENCE ON FASCISM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST FASCISM AT 22.04.23
The conference consisted of 2 sessions. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The conference was held in the factory facilities of the former Astra y Unceta arms factory
At the morning session, the speakers were Iñaki Gil de San Vicente, Alberto Bonilla of ezkerraldea antifaxista and Paul Beitia of Kontseilu Sozialista.
Iñaki Gil de San Vicente is a famous personality. He is a former Marxist professor of history and an intellectual.
The first session was attended by 91 people.
COMMEMORATION FOR CONCHA ARANA
During the anti-fascist meeting in Gernika Kontxa, homage was paid to Arana “Rita”, a revolutionary and internationalist militant;
Kontxa rebelled against the Franco regime at a young age in the 70s and fought for the independence and socialism of the basque people.
This militant, one of the first women of the E.T.A., was obsessively pursued by Hidalgo, a sadistic torture captain of the Civil Guard of Gernika.
Her militant journey led her into exile and in France she was imprisoned with others on Yeu Island. In the 1980s, her commitment to the struggle took her to Latin America and she shared the ranks with Pakito Arriaran, who died with the Salvadoran guerrillas; Kontxi came to Nicaragua after the FSLN victory and participated with them in the reconstruction of the country.
In this struggle, Rita actively participated in Nicaragua’s victory against imperialism.
SECOND SESSİON
At the second session there were the following speakers:
Askapena
Anti-Imperialist Front
Platform Antirepressiva de Barcelona
Dublin Republicans against fascism
Speech of aif:
The presentation started with an introduction and explanation of who the Anti-Imperialist Front is and what it does.
The Anti-Imperialist Front showed PowerPoint presentations and 3 videos with Spanish subtitles.
They explained impressively the struggle against fascism in Turkey.
The presentation started with an introduction to the history of the left in Turkey.
It was told about Mahir Cayan and Kizildere. The legendary words of Mahir Cayan:
“We came to die and not to deviate from our path” showed, how it influenced the course of history.
The THKP-C had broken with the 50-year tradition of revisionism.
They taught in Kizildere to resist under all circumstances and not to surrender.
Afterwards, the long history of the prisons and the struggles in them were presented as death fasts.
The story of the families of the TAYAD prisoners and their struggles was also given.
3 videos were played.
They were video presentations about the Law Office of the People International and the music group Grup Yorum with Spanish subtitles.
With about 70 participants, it was a success that even the organisers had not expected.
Finally a souvenir photo was taken. A concert was organised at 21.00 in the evening with 3 bands performing.
