Background & activities

The international red assistance (IRH) [Internationale Rote Hilfe] declared in 1923 the 18th of march as the "international day for the political prisoners support".
Since then and since 1996 Libertad! and other initiatives as well do celebrate this day again to remind of and campaign for the liberty of the political prisoners and against repression, each year various actions take place all over, as well as meetings and demonstrations according to the topic.

We are not all - the prisoners are missing!
Liberty for all political prisoners world-wide!


History of the 18.3.

The 18th of March as a day to fight for the release of all political prisoners ties into the tradition of the workers movement.

The 18th of March 1848 stands for the fights of the proletarians against the old rulers and also the newly formed bourgeoisie.

On the 18th of March 1871 the national guard took over the power and thereby started the Parisian Commune. Both attempts to free themselves from the chains of the ruling class are brutally struck down. Thus the revenge of the French bourgeoisie costs the lives of 25000 humans, 3000 died in the prisons, 13700 were condemned to lifelong punishments. This day was at first called "The day of the Parisian commune".

In 1922 at the IV. World Congress of the Communist International, the International Red Assistance (IRH) was founded and among other things it was decided that the international day of the political prisoner should be proclaimed and happen on 18 March 1923 for the first time.
With the proclamation of this day above all consciousness and solidarity should be initiated and raised for the situation of the political prisoners world-wide and also be practically expressed. On this day in all countries people took to the streets for the victims of political injustice, for example for the anarchists Sacco and Vancetti who were innocent but still condemned to death in the USA of the 20's.

Fascism stopped the commemoration of this day in Germany, and 1933 it was officially prohibited.


History of the 18.3. - today

Some political groups took up the initiative in the 90's again, in a time, in which consciousness for the political prisoners began to shrink slowly.
Since the 18th of March was publicised in 1996 as a day of solidarity with the prisoners,
the public is made attentive by various activities to the issues of state repression and pursuit.

A country wide action day should express our resistance via different activities against repression by the state, inhuman treatment, torture and death penalty in the prisons.
It can not be a replacement for a world wide action day, but an initiative to create also in Germany a day as it exists anyway in many countries.

Despite the short preparation time, the resonance by different groups was pleasing.

Already with the first action day the 18th of March was not it an exclusive activity of one group, Libertad! , anymore. From then on, since the meeting of the groups involved in the 18th of march in 1996, the 18th of March is also in the future intended to succeed as the day of action.
Also because of its historical relevance both for the revolution 1848 and for the Parisian Commune in 1871, for these reasions the "red assistance" selected this date already in the 20's as "day of the political prisoners".
A result of the discussion was to focus on this day in the future more generally on national suppression and pursuit (...)
[ quotation from preface of the Libertad! magazine 1996, with some modification for reasons of simplicity ]