Solidarité et Progrès Activists Seek Backing for Stralsund Peace Initiative at French Mayors National Congress
Nov. 25, 2022 (EIRNS)—On Nov. 22-23, teams of Solidarité et Progrès French political party set up banners and booktables at the annual congress of the French Mayors Association (AMF) and the “Mayors’ Fair.” However, it is noteworthy that many mayors of small villages and communes, whom S&P often talks to, have ceased attending the event, since they feel they are neither listened to nor respected.
Solidarité & Progrès, the party founded by Lyndon LaRouche’s friend Jacques Cheminade, brandished a sign which reproduces, in French and German, of the support letter signed by French mayors who back the peace initiative by the German city of Stralsund. The late-October initiative to offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which Stralsund launched in an open letter “A New Stralsund Peace” to the Federal government in Berlin and the Mecklenburg state government, has found co-thinkers and supporters among French municipalities. Referring to a major peace treaty signed in Stralsund in 1370, which put an end to long wars in the Baltic Sea region, Stralsund’s current offer to host peace talks has drawn backing by 15 French mayors.
The French political party’s organizing to add more mayors to the list, however, intersected a different intention by the AMF sponsors. To brainwash the mayors, the opening session started with a message from “Solidarity with Ukraine” in the presence of six Ukrainian mayors, and a video recording from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ironically, the event organizers welcomed the Ukrainian elected officials next to the S&P bookstand, but made a point to restrict the Ukrainians from seeing what its activists were doing. There had two signboards: One side, with a poster showing French mayors supporting the Stralsund initiative, and the other side reading: “Support for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.”
Five activists deployed and distributed 1,000 copies of S&P’s statement. One elected official signed, and several individuals wanted to remain in touch, including two elected officials from francophone Africa. Two other French elected officials quickly gave us the name of their town, to organize their officials.
Especially after display of “Solidarity with Ukraine,” a lot of elected officials would demonstrate the effect of the brainwashing, saying: “Peace, yes, but never with Russia”; “no negotiations, Ukraine has our full support”; and even crazies shouting “Putin murderer, Putin murderer!” And, as has become regular, whenever ministers or Macron pass by, the police hermetically shield the activists off from them.
