It's truly exhausting and causes immense physical and psychological wear and tear. But we have no other option but to do it. Again and again.
We must respond in court to the insults, threats, harassment, and smear campaigns by the far-right against political leaders and social movement figures, or against any citizen who dares to speak up to defend people's rights with a discourse that they find bothersome.
Some say it's useless, that they'll keep doing it, that they laugh at lawsuits and complaints. But no, I assure you they don't. Sooner or later, many will stop. The problem is that they know very few of us go to court. The problem is that there are those who can afford a first conviction without great effort, even if the compensation amounts to tens of thousands of euros, because they have enough money or because they raise it in a crowdfunding campaign.
But when the convictions pile up, when the numbers multiply, they will see that it is not profitable for them. **That the business of defamation is starting to cause losses. For some, even economic ruin.** And then they will start to stop. Then they will assume that this crusade against the Democrats is not worth it, that their hunt for reds, as they call us, can cost them dearly.
Even some of those pseudo-media outlets that have turned insults and lies into their way of making money will start to stop. Because the compensation for their convictions may reach figures much higher than the public money they receive so obscurely.
But to achieve that, it is necessary for all of us who are victims of far-right attacks to become aware that we can empower ourselves. That it is not enough to dismantle their lies on social media or in the media. That we also have to fight in the courts, however exhausting it may be. Because if we don't respond to them, they will escalate. Yes, it seems impossible, but they can still escalate. And we have to use all the legal resources at our disposal to try to stop them