Mass demonstration in Erciş, Northern Kurdistan, condemns attacks on Rojava

Thousands joined a large march in the Erciş district of the city of Van in Northern Kurdistan, organized by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), in protest against the attacks by mercenaries of the Syrian Interim Government, backed by the Turkish state, against the Kurdish people in North and East Syria.

Participants chanted slogans such as “Long live the resistance of Rojava” and “Kobani will become the graveyard of ISIS,” and carried banners reading “Rojava will become the graveyard of ISIS” and “Rojava is our red line — Woman, Life, Freedom.” Thousands of people of all ages, from 7 to 70, took part in the demonstration. The march ended at the city’s Reconstruction Market, where a statement was read by Suad Oloğana, one of the Mothers for Peace.

The statement said: “As Mothers for Peace, we demand an immediate end to this war and the establishment of peace. We do not want any mother to cry or to bury her children. We went to parliament for the sake of peace; our initiative must be recognized and this war must be brought to an end. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party has done everything in its power, and Devlet Bahçeli and the authorities must fulfill their promises. This war must stop immediately. The ISIS mentality does not respect our bodies—what kind of conscience is this? Let everyone be reassured: Kobani will not fall.”

For her part, DEM Party’s MP Gülderen Varli stressed that Rojava is not alone, saying: “We will always stand by Rojava. Today we are in Erdiş, where the Zilan massacre was committed. They were here yesterday and they are here today. No one can stop us. Together we will witness the victory of Rojava. We tell them: take your hands off Rojava. Your weapons were used yesterday against the state of ISIS; do not use them today against the Kurdish people who are fighting for their dignity. Let the whole world see the atrocities being committed in Rojava. Let us discuss the solution together. Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, as the one responsible for the solution, is guiding you toward the right path.”

Afterward, thousands of people marched toward the building of the DEM Party, where a crowd that had been gathered there for a long time chanted slogans and called for escalating the resistance in support of Rojava.

A-H 

ANHA