Internationalist demonstration in Basel condemns Turkish use of chemical weapons

An internationalist demonstration was held in Basel as part of the World Kobanê Day events. The Kurdish women’s movement in Switzerland (YJK-S), the Democratic Kurdish Community (CDK-S), the Rojava Committee, the Kurdish youth organization Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger and activists of the climate strike attended the demonstration.

Several activists wore white protective suits and gas masks to draw attention to the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army in Kurdistan. A representative of the CDK-S said: “We will continue to promote the system of grassroots democracy, women’s liberation and ecology created according to the paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan instead of the totalitarian concept of the annihilation of the Kurdish people. We condemn the attacks against the guerrillas in Kurdistan.”

The resistance in Kobanê in 2014 was addressed by most speeches. “Kobanê – the name of this town in Rojava is now a synonym for hope and resistance. The population of Kobanê picked up arms and fought back the Islamic State in 2014. In a seemingly hopeless situation, the population fought against ISIS, led by the courage and resistance of women. With the victory in Kobanê the tide turned and the Kurdish freedom movement liberated area after area from the reign of terror imposed by the Islamic State. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets all over the world because they had realized that the fighting in Kobanê was not just about a city, but about more fundamental issues. Kobanê stands for the defense of humanity and the firm determination that a revolutionary perspective can be built in the midst of this time of wars and growing fascism,” said a speaker from the Rojava Committee, adding that “Just as Kobanê was defended at that time, it is still a matter of defending the Kurdish people against massacres and Kurdistan against the occupation.”

The demonstration criticized the support of the Erdogan regime by Europe and Switzerland and the newly ratified free trade agreement between Switzerland and Turkey on 1 October. “This means income for the Turkish state in crisis, which it urgently needs for its fascist politics,”said activists.

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