In the Nusaybin district of Mardin, opposite the northern Syrian city of Qamishlo, thousands of people protested on Wednesday against the ongoing attacks on Rojava. The protests began with a demonstration march through the city and ended with a vigil that had been taking place since the previous day directly on the Turkish-Syrian border. During a brutal police crackdown, numerous people were detained, including several journalists. The exact number was not immediately unclear.
The demonstration was promoted by the DEM Party (Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party) and DBP (Democratic Regions Party). Led by DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan and DBP Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, the crowd marched through the streets of Nusaybin. The participants chanted slogans such as “Bijî Berxwedana Rojava” (Long live the resistance of Rojava) and “Rojava is our dignity” and expressed their solidarity with the people of Western Kurdistan with songs, speeches, and banners.
Speakers sharply criticized the current escalation in Rojava and the role of Turkey, which, together with its jihadist militias, is supporting the attacks by the so-called Syrian transitional government on the Kurdish areas in northern and northeastern Syria. “The attacks are aimed at political autonomy, women’s rights, and the peaceful coexistence of peoples in Rojava,” said Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar. She called on the international community to clearly side with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and condemn the Turkish-Syrian alliance against Rojava.
After the demonstration, numerous participants went to the vigil at the border, where the police intervened and detained dozens of people. Among those taken into custody were journalists, including Heval Önkol, Ferhat Akıncı, Pelşin Çetinkaya, Muhammet Ali Yılmaz, Kesira Önel, and Barış Demircan. The police did not comment on the reasons for the detentions.
The protesters called for further resistance, saying: “Today is not the day to stay at home—today is the day to stand up and protect Rojava.”
Remarking that the vigil at the border will continue despite the repression, demonstrators said that Rojava remains the heart of the Kurdish people, and they will not stand by silently and watch it be destroyed.
