The Algerian War 1954

Long Live Free Algeria

Source: Sylvain Pattieu, Les Camarades des Frères. Editions Syllepse, Paris 2002;
Translated: for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor;
CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2005.

This poster was pasted up by the anarchist Confédération Communiste Libertaire on November 9, 1954, just days after the unleashing of the liberation struggle.

A savage repression is descending upon Algeria. Many Algerian workers are under surveillance or have been arrested.

The MTLD and its newspaper “L'Algérie Libre” are banned.
The Mendès-Mitterand government and the bought-off rotten press cover the Algerian resistance fighters with insults and slanders.

To this campaign of hatred aimed at camouflaging colonialism’s maneuvers we answer:

Terrorism isn’t an isolated fact and isn’t provoked by the programs of Radio Cairo.
The revolt is a consequence of 124 years of expropriations, super-exploitation, repression, and massacres.
It is the only hope for the fellahs and the agricultural workers who earn 250 fr. a day, for the hundreds of thousands of unemployed, for the immigrants flowing into the slums, who are all fighting to the death for independence, that is, against exploiting colonialism.

United despite the lies of some and the silence of others (the great so-called working-class parties), we will demonstrate our solidarity with the Algerian workers and we demand:

The withdrawal of the contingent and of all troops from North Africa. We don’t want a new Indochina war, and we don’t want our sons and brothers in uniform to be transformed into “hunters of fellaghas.”
The lifting of the ban on the MTLD and its newspaper, “L'Algérie Libre.”
The liberation of Messali Hadj and all the militants of the MTLD.

Forward against colonialism with the Communist Libertarian International