The attacks targeting the Kurdish people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo were protested in various European cities. During the demonstrations, people said that the attacks were carried out by jihadist gangs aligned with ISIS, while the support of the Turkish state and the silence of international powers were strongly condemned.
BELFAST
Kurds in Belfast protested the attacks against Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah with a demonstration in front of the City Hall.
The demonstration began with a one-minute moment of silence in memory of the martyrs of the Kurdistan Revolution, specifically honoring martyred commander Ziyad Heleb, one of the leaders of the resistance.
During the protest, YPG and YPJ flags as well as the Kurdistan flag were carried, and slogans such as “Bijî Berxwedana Rojava” (Long live the resistance of Rojava), “Bijî Yekîtiya Gelê Kurd” (Long live Kurdish unity), and “Bijî Serok Apo” (Long live Leader Apo) were frequently chanted.
LYON
In the French city of Lyon, the attacks carried out against the Kurdish people in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah were protested at Bellecour Square in the city center. The demonstration, organized following a call by the Lyon Democratic Kurdish Community Center, began with a one-minute silence in memory of the martyrs of the Kurdistan Revolution.
Speakers at the rally said that the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah were carried out by jihadist gangs aligned with ISIS under the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). They emphasized that despite HTS’s attempts to legitimize itself through changes in name and rhetoric, it remains ideologically and practically a continuation of the ISIS tradition. It was noted that these groups are either supported by international powers or deliberately ignored, and that this international silence encourages attacks against civilians.
In a statement read on behalf of the Socialist Women’s Council, it was emphasized that the Kurdish people’s liberation and freedom struggle in Rojava, ongoing for more than 14 years, holds a significant place in human history. It was stated that this struggle against jihadist, reactionary and fascist forces has been carried out at the cost of the lives of thousands of Kurdish women and men, and therefore represents not only the struggle of the Kurdish people, but a struggle for freedom for all humanity.
The statement drew attention to the increasing attacks by jihadist groups against Alawites, Druze and Kurds, noting that particularly over the past week, ISIS- and HTS-linked gangs backed by the Turkish state have targeted civilians in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah without distinction between children and women. The use of heavy weapons was described as an open massacre. The silence of the United States, Europe and other international powers in the face of these events was strongly criticized.
Speakers stressed that the main objective of the attacks is to eliminate the gains achieved through immense sacrifices in Rojava. The assaults on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah were described as targeting the Kurdish people’s will for self-administration, self-defense and democratic life, and as part of a broader plan to liquidate the Rojava Revolution. It was stated that the legacy of those who resisted, fought and were martyred would be upheld, that this struggle would not be abandoned, and that protecting this revolutionary legacy is a historical responsibility for all Kurds and their friends.
The statement also noted that despite an ongoing process aimed at a democratic and political solution to the Kurdish question, the Turkish state has taken no concrete steps. It emphasized that a solution is only possible through the joint and organized struggle of the Kurdish people and democratic forces. In this context, Leader Apo’s call was described as a historic opportunity to break the status quo in the Middle East, prevent capitalist expansionism and advance a democratic communal system. The statement concluded with calls to stop the attacks against the peoples of Rojava, expose and prevent the Turkish state’s support for ISIS and HTS, demand a clear stance from European states, and recognize the status of Rojava while providing all forms of support. The massacre of Kurdish women in Paris 13 years ago was also condemned, with renewed demands to uncover the perpetrators.
The demonstration ended with the slogans “Bijî Berxwedana Rojava” and “Şehîd Namirin.”
ATHENS
In Athens, people from Kurdistan and their supporters gathered in Syntagma Square in front of parliament to protest the massacres carried out in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah by gangs affiliated with the Interim Damascus Government and supported by the occupying Turkish state. The march began with a moment of silence in memory of five Internal Security Forces who carried out sacrificial actions in both neighborhoods.
The protest, organized by the Athens Democratic Kurdish Community Center, was attended by democratic mass organizations opposing the Turkish state’s occupation attacks on Syria and Rojava, as well as representatives of the PYD in Athens.
Speakers emphasized that the attacks against civilians in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah constitute clear war crimes. They stated that gangs supported by the Turkish state are committing atrocities against the population without distinction between women, children or the elderly, and that the silence of international powers and states amounts to approval of these massacres.
Statements during the protest declared, “The Kurds who have defended Europe’s and the world’s honor are today being massacred before the eyes of the entire world.” It was pointed out that forces who once said “we owe the Kurds a debt of honor” in front of cameras are now playing a leading role in genocidal policies against the Kurdish people.
The speakers also emphasized their commitment to the memory of the Kurdish resistance fighters in both neighborhoods and the five fighters who carried out sacrificial actions against the gangs, affirming that the resistance in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah will be upheld.
The protest concluded with a strong call to international public opinion and democratic forces: “Those responsible for the massacres in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah—the occupying Turkish state and the gangs it supports—must be put on trial, and the honorable resistance of the Kurdish people must not be left alone.”
BREGENZ
In the Austrian city of Bregenz, the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah were protested with a march attended by hundreds of people.
The march began at Bregenz train station and continued to the Vorarlberg State Parliament building. It started with a one-minute silence in memory of the martyrs of the Kurdistan revolution. Speeches were delivered in German by Bavê Serbest Abdulkerim on behalf of the Sara Cultural Association, Kemal on behalf of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDP-S), and Anna on behalf of the Austrian Socialists.
In the statement, the ongoing attacks on the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo were condemned in the strongest terms. It read: “As the Sara Cultural Association (Austria) and the Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS), we strongly condemn the attacks on Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods. These attacks directly target civilians and constitute a clear violation of international law. Homes are being destroyed, people are losing their lives, and civilians are being forced to flee. Through its struggle against ISIS in Rojava, the Kurdish people defended not only themselves but all of humanity. The forces attacking Kurdish neighborhoods today act with the same extremist and inhumane mentality. The policies pursued by the Turkish government deepen the conflict and weaken hopes for peace. We call on the Austrian government, parliament, media and public to clearly condemn these attacks and take responsibility for protecting civilians. We stand in solidarity with the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.”
MALMÖ
In the Swedish city of Malmö, a rally organized at the call of the Kurdish youth movement protested the armed gang attacks carried out by groups affiliated with the Syrian interim government against the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo. People from Kurdistan and their supporters took part in the event.
Speeches at the rally strongly condemned the brutal attacks carried out against Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo. Those who were martyred during the resistance were commemorated, and all martyrs of the freedom struggle—especially Commander Ziyad—were remembered with respect. Speakers conveyed the message that as long as the Kurdish people stand by the self-sacrificing resistance fighters, the Kurdish people and Kurdistan will achieve freedom.
During the event, a mother who took the floor condemned those responsible for the massacre and drew attention to the fact that the guarantor states within the coalition—above all the Turkish state—have provided direct or indirect support for the attacks.