Newroz celebrations across Switzerland

Newroz celebrations have been taking place in Switzerland for a week. On Sunday, tens of thousands gathered for the Newroz festival in Fribourg. On March 21, there were celebrations and demonstrations in many Swiss cities.

Lausanne

In Lausanne, activists marched through the city to the Newroz rally, carrying PKK flags and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan. Slogans for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan echoed through the streets of Lausanne. Once at the rally site, a minute of silence was held for the martyrs. Afterwards, Sıtkı Demir, co-chair of the Kurdish Community Center, took the floor and congratulated Abdullah Öcalan, the guerrilla fighters in the Kurdish mountains and the Kurdish people on the Newroz Festival. Afterwards, the relatives of martyrs lit a fire. The celebration lasted until late at night.

Solothurn

A Newroz celebration also took place in Solothurn on Monday. People gathered on the May Day grounds and marched from there with torches into the city center. Under loud slogans, the demonstrators marched after a round through the city back to the May Day area, where the Newroz celebration began and the fire was lit.

Lucerne

A large demonstration took place in Lucerne. Together with Swiss institutions and emancipatory organizations, many Kurdish youth participated in the demonstration. The activists marched with torches to Helvetiaplatz, where the Newroz fire was lit.

Geneva

In Geneva, activists marched with torches to the festival square. There, the participants celebrated the spring festival and the 50th anniversary of the Kurdish freedom movement with dances around the Newroz fire.

Biel

In Biel, a Newroz rally took place in front of the Congress House. A fire was lit in the square, people celebrated and sang revolutionary songs.

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