The case of Mario Bango has already attracted attention both in Slovakia and internationally. As it is already known Mario Bango – a 18-year old Roma in Slovakia – defended his brother Edo when he was attacked by a Nazi-Skinhead.

Weeks later the Nazi died of the injuries sustained in the fight in which he was the aggressor. Since then Mario has been in prison and is now threatened with a sentence of up to 15 years.

A vicious racist campaign was started in the Slovak media against Mario and in praise of the Nazi-Skinhead. There was even a minute of silence for him in parliament!

The League for a Fifth International (LFI) has defended Mario Bango from the beginning and initiated an international solidarity campaign.

Amongst those who sympathise with Mario debate has arisen about Marioâs use of a weapon to defend his brother and himself. Should this be considered as legitimate or a mistake. Naturally we are not talking about legal pleas in Mario's trial. The question is what fundamental political position those progressive forces who support the solidarity campaign should take and fight for.

As consistent anti-racists and Marxists it is absolutely clear that we declare our solidarity with Marioâs act of self-defence. Self-defence is no offence!

It would be both a serious error as well as an act of political cowardice for us to declare Marioâs legitimate self-defence "a mistake". Here we are talking about a fundamental political question.

Not only Roma people, members of other national minorities but also trade unionists and leftists are victims of fascist violence. Marioâs self-defence has become a symbol for the fact that Roma are no longer simply victims but will defend themselves! Fascist violence must not be answered with passivity and submission but with organised and determined resistance!

Pacifism totally useless; it is – as Lenin remarked once – an ideology propagated by slave holders for their slaves. In contrast to the pacifists and half-hearted leftists the LFI recognises the legitimacy of force in response fascist aggression.

To declare Mario's act as a "mistake" means to declare the principal of the necessarily "violent" struggle against fascism and racism as a "mistake". In the end it means to declare the class struggle itself a "mistake": to advocate petty-bourgeois pacifist methods, which come down to reliance on the (racist) capitalist state itself..

Those leftists who accept in principle, the necessity of armed resistance to the fascists, but who think that they must criticise Mario's actions "for tactical reasons" are abandoning their principles in pursuit of liberal support.

We too welcome all and any support from pacifists democrats etc, i.e. from people who do not agree with Mario's militant self defence . But we do not have to adopt and spread their prejudices.

The defence of Mario is not only about him personally. The LFI considers the solidarity campaign also as a political task that will help other and future Marios. That will help them not to be in the same position as Mario and his brother were faced with.

It is also necessary to support and advocate the idea of determined self-defence and direct action against fascists. The campaign should encourage others to take collective measures for their self-defence. We want to draw attention to Mario's courage because Roma ö and all other oppressed ö need today two, three, many Mario's.

Naturally we do not believe that it is possible to smash fascism only by direct action. Fascism in the end is a result of the rotten conditions capitalist society, where some impoverished layers support the fascists because the official parties of the workers movement fail to give them an alternative perspective.

The workers' movement can successfully smash the evil of fascism only if it combines necessary physical confrontation against the Nazi-gangs with a perspective for making new social gains. In the end fascism will only disappear with capitalism.

But it would be a caricature of Marxism if one drew the conclusion from this general consideration that violence against fascists is unnecessary and one only needs to wait for the socialist transformation of the society. This kind of "realism" has no place in real life not to mention the Marxist programme. With the same logic one could say that there is no need to strike for higher wages because in the end the living standard can only be improved lastingly in a socialist society.

No, every single successful defence against a Nazi attack is a small step forward. The fascists must be reminded through such experiences that they can not attack Romas and others with impunity. Such successes can also deter potential right-wing sympathisers. Our motto is: "Strike one, educate a hundred!"

For socialists, solidarity with Mario must be not only a humanitarian concern. It must also have a political character. The basis of our political solidarity must be: "Self-defence is no offence!"

We declare our unconditional support of Mario's defence of his brother and himself against the Nazi attack. Mario – despite his youth – is a member of the Slovak labour movement and a participant in recent anticapitalist mobilisations. He is a class war prisoner who deserves the active support of these movements and all progressives, world-wide.

11 February 2001