A commemoration ceremony was held in the city of Mannheim for Ronahî (Bedriye Taş) and Bêrîvan (Nilgül Yıldırım), who were martyred on March 22, 1994, after setting their bodies on fire in protest against Germany’s policies of bans, repression, arrests, and violence targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdish people. The event was organized by the Kurdish People’s Assembly and the Ronahî–Bêrîvan Women’s Assembly.
Held at the very location where they carried out their action, the commemoration honored all freedom martyrs in the names of these two revolutionary women with respect and gratitude.
As part of the event, participants from Kurdistan held a short march toward the banks of the Neckar River, where the martyrs had set their bodies on fire. Throughout the march, slogans such as “Şehîd namirin” (Martyrs are immortal), “Bijî Serok Apo” (Long live Abdullah Öcalan), and “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (Women, Life, Freedom) were chanted.
Following the march, a commemoration program was held at the site where the martyrs lost their lives. A wreath was laid at the site by relatives of martyr Ronahî, while participants also paid their respects by placing flowers.
During the program, a minute of silence was observed in memory of all freedom martyrs in the names of Ronahî and Bêrîvan. Afterwards, politician Besime Konca delivered a speech.
Besime Konca stated in her speech that Ronahî and Bêrîvan demonstrated great courage and determination, emphasizing that the Kurdish people have paid a heavy price in their decades-long struggle for freedom. She also commemorated all Newroz martyrs, particularly Mazlum Doğan, Zekiye Alkan, Rehşan Demirel, Sema Yüce, Uğur Şakar, Umut Acar, and Kemal Kurkut, who was killed during the 2017 Newroz in Amed (Diyarbakır).
The speech underlined that Ronahî and Bêrîvan were subjected to multiple layers of repression and denial due to their identities as women, Alevi, and Kurdish, and therefore their action has become one of the symbols of resistance.
Throughout the commemoration, participants carried photographs of Ronahî and Bêrîvan, as well as images of Kurdish women politicians killed in Paris, along with flags of the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Europe (TJK-E). The group expressed through slogans that they embrace and carry forward the struggle of the martyrs.
The emotionally charged event concluded with an emphasis on preserving the legacy of the martyrs and continuing their struggle.