The SUF (Socialistisk UngdomsFront – Socialist Youth Front) is a revolutionary Socialist youth organization in Denmark that works together with the Unity-list (a left-wing party with members of parliament). In the last couple of years the SUF has been growing and now has nearly 1000 members.
Inside the SUF there have been a number of discussions on a whole range of subjects, among other things about the developments in the class struggle in Denmark, the character and tasks of the Venezuelan revolution, etc.
One of the tendencies that work inside the SUF, is a Marxist group that publishes a paper called Socialistisk Standpunkt. These comrades participated in the founding meeting of the SUF in 2001 and have been active inside it since then.
For some years a campaign against these comrades has been taking place, involving slanders, rumours, the stealing of a stall with their books and material and bureaucratic manoeuvres. This culminated with a campaign to expel them from the SUF in March/April 2006. (See Denmark: Expulsions of Marxists from SUF rejected!)
At that time the demand for expulsions failed to get the necessary 2/3 majority at the April 2006 congress and the expulsions were therefore defeated. This was a clear victory for internal democracy inside the SUF and a blow against those who were trying to stop the influence of Marxist ideas among the revolutionary youth.
However, the attacks against Socialistisk Standpunkt did not stop at this. At the congress of the SUF on April 7th 2007 during a break a certain document was circulated and distributed to the delegates. This document was presented as if it were a document of Socialistisk Standpunkt, but in reality it is made up of fragments of old internal discussions and personal emails, that have been completely manipulated. Socialistisk Standpunkt cannot take any responsibility for them.
This “document” has been used to “prove” that Socialistisk Standpunkt is against the SUF and that we do not want to build the organization. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that comrades from Socialistisk Standpunkt have been active in more than ten different local SUF branches; they have been active in the leadership and have also worked to strengthen SUF’s political campaigns.
When the manipulated documents were circulated in the congress a heated mood broke out and the comrades of Socialistisk Standpunkt were forced to leave. The majority of the SUF branch from Gladsaxe also left in protest, as did the members of the branch in Vejle.
A new campaign to expel the comrades of Socialistisk Standpunkt has now begun and will culminate in the extraordinary SUF congress of May 17th.
All this is clearly a political campaign whose aim to isolate the ideas of Marxism from the youth. The purpose is to remove the ideas represented by Socialistisk Standpunkt and silence all those that defend our views.
In the SUF congress the comrades of Socialistisk Standpunkt, presented some political proposals and resolutions, for example one on the need to fight for a strike against the recent reactionary wage negotiation deal. This proposal was in fact approved by a majority at the congress before the meeting was cut across by the distribution of the manipulated documents on Saturday.
Given these circumstances, the distribution of manipulated documents is clearly an attempt to stop the political debate and isolate the Marxists. It is a manoeuvre to distract attention away from the real political issues at stake. It has clearly been prepared to stop the growing influence of Marxist ideas in the SUF.
The comrades of Socialistisk Standpunkt have been accused of wanting to “destroy the SUF”. But who are the ones destroying the SUF? Those that manipulated and distributed these documents and in effect broke up the congress are those responsible for this mess. They have deliberately tried to put a brake on the political discussions and to silence a legally recognised tendency. To silence political discussion in a revolutionary organization is like preventing a person from breathing. The only “crime” of the supporters of Socialistisk Standpunkt has been to promote political discussions and put forward their positions inside the SUF. They have put forward proposals on the wage negotiations, on Venezuela, on the fight against the right-wing government, etc. This is their “crime”. What those that manipulated and distributed these documents want is to silence such proposals.
These undemocratic methods must be condemned by all honest activists in the workers’ movement and youth throughout the world. We must fight to defend democracy and stop these expulsions. We therefore appeal to all our readers to send letters of protests against the expulsions. Take this campaign up everywhere in the trade unions, left-wing parties and organizations, etc.
Manoeuvres such as those used to expel Marxists from the SUF have nothing to do with the traditions of democracy in the workers’ organizations. Thus the struggle against expulsions is also a struggle to defend democracy in the labour movement.
Model letter against expulsions:
Please send this letter to: The national office of the SUF – sek@ungdomsfront.dk with copies to: The Unity-list – kontor@enhedslisten.dk and Socialistisk Standpunkt – marxist@marxist.dk
Please also enclose a copy to fightback@marxist.ca.
To Socialistisk UngdomsFront, SUF.
Comrades,
We are writing you as we have been informed about the campaign for expulsions that is going on in your organization against the supporters of the Marxist tendency Socialistisk Standpunkt. We think that it is a disgusting way of dealing with politics to circulate manipulated documents and try to present them as the views of one’s opponent. This is not in the spirit of the democratic traditions that the workers’ movement has established. This will put you on the road towards bureaucratic methods. We urge you to stop these expulsions and think very carefully about the future of the SUF. If you expel these comrades it will be a blow against democracy. You cannot stop political discussions with expulsions. To silence political discussion in a revolutionary organization is like preventing a person from breathing.
Stop the expulsions!
Defend democracy in the workers’ movement!
Signed,
Name, Position, Organization
