International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism


The International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism—or Ligue internationale contre le racisme et l'antisémitisme in French—was established in 1927, and is opposed to intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion.
In 1927, French journalist Bernard Lecache created "The League Against Pogroms", and launched a media campaign in support of Sholom Schwartzbard who assassinated Symon Petliura on 25 May 1926 in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Schwartzbard viewed Petliura as responsible for numerous pogroms in Ukraine. After Schwartzbard's acquittal, the league evolved into LICA. Schwartzbard was a prominent activist in this organization.
In 1931, LICA already counted 10000 subscribers all over France. It was a solid power during the battle between leagues in February 1934.
After 1932, LICA evolved into LICRA, but the name was officially changed only in 1979 during the long presidency of Jean Pierre-Bloch.
In September 1939, as the Second World War started, numerous LICRA subscribers mobilised, and many were members of the Resistance throughout the war. During the German occupation of France, LICRA was banned by the Vichy government and had to regroup clandestinely to help the victims of Nazi racial measures, notably by hiding them away from Paris, by providing them with fake IDs, and by helping them escape to Switzerland, Spain and England.
In 1972, a law authorized LICRA to counsel victims of racist acts during their court appearances. LICRA received considerable media attention during the case of LICRA v. Yahoo!, in which it brought charges against Yahoo! for selling Nazi memorabilia to people in France in violation of French laws proposed, passed, and used by and for LICRA.
The LICRA keeps fighting neonazism and Holocaust denial. This was demonstrated when it supported the Klarsfeld couple, and during Klaus Barbie's trial in 1987.
In the last few years, LICRA intensified its international actions by opening sections abroad, in Switzerland, in Belgium, in Luxembourg, in Germany, in Portugal, in Quebec and more recently in Congo Brazzaville and in Austria.
Since 1999, with the arrival of president Patrick Gaubert, LICRA has extended its area of action. It now addresses social issues such as work discrimination, citizenship, and disadvantaged youth.
Since 2010 the new president is Alain Jakubowicz.

Commissions

The LICRA's aim is to stay in permanent alertness concerning any kind of discrimination. It fights against everyday racism and the banalization of xenophobic acts. It helps the victims who are most of the time not aware of their rights. It pays attention to any racist speech in the media. It does not want in any case to alter the press's freedom of speech, but only to find and correct any hate or discrimination incitement. It also makes sure that any negationist document is removed from sale.
The LICRA acts on the field thanks to its volunteers in every region. The actions programme is voted by nine commissions. Since 1932, the LICRA publishes a newspaper: "le droit de vivre", which is an essential aid to express LICRA's values and engagements. Given out to all the members, it is a great tool of internal and external communication. It allows to sum up LICRA's local, national and international actions. Depending on the actuality, many personalities express themselves in its columns.

Financing

The LICRA is mainly financed by state subsidies. It receives around 500,000 euros every year from the French government.