Corsican Nazione defies Paris In the footsteps of repression

Despite all challenges, Corsicans resolutely continue their struggle for the liberation of their country. The Nazione party, newly set up in the country, has consolidated more than 600 activists since its foundation. The party's success from day one drew the ire of the French government. The government could not accept the party’s achievements and demonstrated it with repression and attacks on the activists' houses.

Two days after the first assembly meeting, the Nazione party held a press conference in Bastia despite the extremely brutal and ruthless repression by the French police.

Addressing the conference, a spokesman and other party members, strongly condemned the recent repressions by the French police. They demanded the immediate release of the two Nazione activists arrested by the police and sent to Paris. They also called on all Corsicans to protest during the Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin's trip to Corsica, AZERTAC reports.

"Just two days after the first meeting of the general assembly of the Nazione party, the French government once again responded with a wave of repression to the success of this new political initiative, as two of our activists, members of our national coordination, Antò Simoni and Nicolas Pinzuti were detained.

This dirty police operation, carried out at the behest of the French national Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, obviously reflects a desire to deliberately unleash aggression against our activists and their families. Thus, their homes were attacked, doors were blown out with exploders, fathers were knocked down and arrested in front of their children, houses were destroyed, toys were broken in front of the children, and two respected activists who were faithfully fulfilling political and professional obligations were arbitrarily sent to Paris.

Today Nazione condemns these deplorable and unacceptable acts against peaceful people, worthy of the worst authoritarian regimes," party members told local and foreign press.

They noted that their activists' place is on the land of Corsica, in their families, in their workplaces and on the field of struggle to preserve their country, and demanded their release.

"The only aim of this new aggression against the national liberation movement is to try to stop the great popular movement that created Nazione and to break its political will.

Once again relying on the factor of force, the French political leaders and some politicians in Corsica will reject any political motives for these appeals. We reiterate that the claim of independence of the political and judicial authorities in the "Corsica affair" is a myth, and the arrests on Tuesday were made by the political police at the behest of the political justice.

Indeed, this process is now known and has taken a very crude form: every initiative of the independence movement encounters a mechanism.

It is no coincidence that the repressive actions coincide with reports of the Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin’s next week arrival. These moves by the French police are part of a policy of neutralizing the only political movement fighting for Corsican independence. Our political struggle is based on the resolute defense of the interests of Corsica and the Corsicans," the spokesman of the political party underlined.

It was noted that hundreds of Nazione activists during the vote on the general direction of the party's policy reaffirmed that the party has always been the key actor for a real political solution and real peace in the country. However, finding a political solution that brings peace does not mean abandoning all demands that are of fundamental importance for the future of the people of Corsica.

“Repression can never make us stop our national struggle and give up. Nazione will continue to popularize its political project in the coming days, uniting all Corsicans who agree with our policy," said the party members, stressing that their activities will become even more intense in the coming days.

At the end of the conference, Nazione activists called for a protest demonstration in connection with the Interior Minister Darmanin’s upcoming visit to Corsica next week and to chant slogans: "For the rights of the people of Corsica!", "Stop repression!", "Long live the nation!".

Party members also called unacceptable the raid by 18 masked French police officers on the homes of Nazione activists. Describing this as an extreme level of repression, they emphasized that France, which considers itself the cradle of the rule of law and human rights, is in fact oriented toward dictatorship, not democracy. The Nazione members said that such a situation was only possible under an authoritarian regime, but that no repression could break the will of the Corsicans and they would resolutely continue to fight for their freedom.