Protest against the racist attack on Kurdish students in Antalya

University students from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) demonstrated in Beyazıt Square in Istanbul in protest at Tuesday’s racist attack on Kurdish students at Akdeniz University. Students displayed banners that read “Shoulder to shoulder against fascism,” “Fascist attacks cannot prevent our struggle,” and “Kurdish students will not submit to fascist attacks”, “Fascist attacks cannot subdue patriotic students!”and shouted slogans in Kurdish and Turkish.

‘THE GOVERNMENT SET THE GROUND, THE POLICE ORGANIZED IT’

Mazlum Büyükkaya, speaking on behalf of the students, recalled the racist attacks that targeted Kurdish students at colleges in Istanbul and Ankara, emphasizing that the AKP-MHP government set the ground for these attacks. Büyükkaya remarked that the main reason for the attacks was the AKP-MHP fascist alliance’s policies against Kurds, saying, “We protected ourselves, we were not afraid, and we resisted against the AKP-MHP fascism, which built their existence on our annihilation and their 100-year-old Kurdish genocide policies.”

Büyükkaya pointed out that the Student Youth Union (ÖGB) and civilian police orchestrated the attacks, emphasizing that these will not be tolerated. According to Büyükkaya, the racist acts were intended at evicting Kurdish students from universities. He emphasized that they will not bow down in the face of attacks and will respond on the basis of legitimate defense. “We are right in front of you with our pen and our fist when needed,” Büyükkaya stated.