Comac is the
studentyouth wing of the
BelgianMarxist political party, the
Workers' Party of Belgium (WPB), (known as PTB-PVDA in Belgium). The movement is active in 11 places across Belgium, operating in different cities,
universities, as well as
hogescholen.[2] Comac's projects engage in
political and symbolic movements, and it frequently hosts gatherings, protests, or other actions. The organization is bilingual, with
Flemish and
Walloon sections cooperating on a national level.[11]
The student wing strives for a spectrum of social goals, such as a
sustainable future, universal access to quality education, attention for
mental health and climate action. Reversely, it opposes forms of
discrimination,
sexism,
racism and aims to counteract the
far-right.[11] Comac envisions a radically
democratic,
social and diverse society. While being politically aligned to PVDA-PTB, Comac is autonomous in their affairs; it is not required to be a WPB-member to join Comac.[2]
The student wing's abbreviation reflects its goals:
Change: Comac seeks to unite youth willing to stand up to injustice in society and fight to change the world;
Optimists: hopefulness towards alternatives and a better world;
Marxists: Comac sees
Marx's ideas as a platform to understanding present-day
capitalism and creating a new society;
Active: the student movement fights alongside climate activists, workers and people of everyday life;
Creative: change requires a broad movement independent of current dominant structures, to work on a new culture based on solidary.[2]
The organization has a joint movement, RedFox, for high-school students.[12]
History
Comac (short for Change, Optimisme, Marxisme, Activisme, Creativiteit[2] in Dutch and Changement, Optimisme, Marxisme, Activisme, Créativité in French)[13] is a result of the 2002 merger of the
Leninist MML, Mouvement marxiste leniniste, and Marxistisch-Leninistische Beweging (MLB),[14] which were active at universities, and Rebelle or Rode Jeugd, who were active in the secondary schools.
In April 2016, a split was made to demarcate between university students and younger members, as well as to represent the movement in
high schools, leading to the creation of the sister movement RedFox.[15]
In 2018, Max Vancauwenberge was elected as national chairman, succeeding Charlie Le Paige, who had served the position for three years.[16]
In 2022, internal documents of the youth organisation Schild & Vrienden [
nl], a
far-rightFlemish nationalist group, contained plans to
infiltrate Comac and gain control from the inside-out, as well as secure influential positions in society.[17] Comac chairman Max Vancauwenberge has strongly condemned these tactics, calling them "typical methods of
fascist organisations: physical and digital
intimidation, provocation and violence."[18]Schild en Vrienden has been known to launch
troll attacks on
social media.[19]
Comac is active via
protests,
direct action, and by manifesting in other
symbolic events to support
LGBT pride,[9]women's rights,
feminism[21] and
political action.[22]
Comac members have also volunteered for many
solidarity actions, often jointly with other organizations and non-members, or in cooperation with the WPB or RedFox. These events aim to support disadvantaged groups, such as low-wage workers or refugees. The student wing furthermore has an online shop where stickers with messages can be purchased, such as against sexism[23] and racism.[24]
Climate protests
Members from Comac have frequently participated in large-scale
climate protests,[25] as well its own actions to advocate for climate action, such as
blockading the entrance of the
VBO(pictured), a building representing
pollutingmultinational corporations. Comac called for a more collective climate approach as well as investments in
transport and
public transit to make these
carbon-neutral.[26] The youth wing also criticizes the proposed
carbon tax, opting for expansion on
green energy alternatives as well as taxing polluting multinationals themselves.[7][27]
Comac and the WPB have organized and participated in
pacifist rallies, calling on the Belgian government to discard
military spending.[30] The
coalition government had approved over 12.2 billion
euro in military allocation, meant to further purchase
F-35s,
frigates and
drones, as well as fund more personnel and digital security.[31]
In early 2022, during the exam period of the first
semester,
Covid-19quarantine prevented students from multiple universities from attending their
midterm examinations. Some were granted catch-up examinations, but these overlapped with existing exam dates, leading to multiple tests on a single day. Other catch-up tests were postponed for months, forcing students into re-taking them during the summer months.[35] In response, Comac launched a
petition to demand guaranteed catch-up exams right after the exam period for those affected by the mandatory Covid-19
isolation. As of the end of the midterms, around 2,000 had signed.[36]
In February 2022, students from the
Ghent University,
VUB and
KU Leuven reported cases of
sexual harassment by professors.[37] An associate professor was also fired in the
Royal Conservatoire Antwerp.[38] Comac has since joined a movement strongly denouncing their acts and demanding
zero-tolerance for unacceptable behaviour.[39] On 15 February, students across several Flemish cities protested, among which Comac members.[37]
Disadvantaged groups
On 20 July 2021 (on
World Refugee Day) Comac members demonstrated in support of undocumented
migrants (sans-papiers) who organized a
hunger strike for better regulations of their
legal status.[40] The youth wing has also provided supplies and food for
refugees.[41]
Following the war in Ukraine and
subsequent refugee crisis, the organization held actions at universities such as
KU Leuven[42] and
UGent as part of a peace initiative. Comac wishes to mobilize Belgian universities in a call for
de-escalation of the war and
diplomatic resolution, as well as raise awareness for student refugees, many of whom faced discrimination while fleeing the country. Comac furthermore opposes Belgian weapon deliveries to Ukraine.[43]
In cooperation with the WPB as well as RedFox, so-called SolidariTeams were created to help victims of the
2021 European floods in
Flanders and
Wallonia,[45] many of which needed their houses rid of
debris, the interior cleaned and repainted, as well as their basements drained. Around 41,000 households were left without electricity in
Wallonia.[46] Since 2022, over 1,500 people have volunteered for the program.[47]
Sociocultural activities
Comac also host a many events for members and non-members, some of which return yearly.
Week of Solidarity: during
summer, a week-long set of activities, under which
camping, playing games, teambuilding and workshops. Usually, guest speakers from
trade unions or the PVDA-PTB come to speak.[48]
Solidarity journey: a travel project where members head to (often times conflicted) regions to connect with local organizations, learn about the situation, and speak to locals. During past journeys, members have been to
Greece, the contested
Palestine and
Cuba.[49]
Karl Marx School: a two-day workshop for beginners to read, discuss, debate and learn about
Marxism and derivative views.[2]
General member meetings: meetings are hosted across cities, often as
presentations, where recent developments are discussed, members are elected for positions, activities are planned, or a guest speaker gives a talk.[50] New members can attend these gatherings as well.
Basis group: members across Comac join a basisgroep,[51] usually clustered by their location or studies, which hold weekly meetings to review and learn about recent events, and discuss and coordinate actions.
Collective study: people are invited to a collectieve blok, aiming to study intensively over the course of five days. A roster is planned, such that attendants study in chunks of time with breaks in between. Depending on the type of blok organized, it is either complimentary or with a fee.[52]
Comac also participates in outside events, such as the
World Festival of Youth and Students or the yearly ManiFiesta, a two-day concert in Belgium featuring
world music and
hip hop, guest speakers, debates, workshops and bookshops.[53]