Protests have been held in The Hague for protesters arrested outside the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and still in custody, as part of a week of action organised by the anti-fascist movement Radical Solidarity.
Kurdish People’s assemblies also attended the rally in which there were activists from other countries as well, though the majority of the activists were from the Netherlands.
Several groups spoke at the protest and expressed their solidarity with the Kurdish people. The speeches also touched on the use of chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Radical Solidarity activists said that chemical weapons are prohibited, but to protest them as an act of civil disobedience is legal.
“Freedom for OPCW protesters!” they cried.
Officially, the week of action will continue until 9 January. The protests will continue after that until the OPCW protesters are released.
The next hearing in the protesters’ case will be held on 23 February, and Radical Solidarity is planning to organise massive protests on the streets of the Netherlands on that day.
OPCW Protests
On 3 December 2021, Kurds and their allies marched on the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague to protest against Turkey’s use of chemical weapons in northern Iraq, the use of which has been mentioned in the reports of various institutions.
The protesters tried to gain entry to the OPCW building, but they were prevented, and the Dutch police violently detained 55 demonstrators outside the building. All the protesters were released except for activists Sinan E., Abdullah G., Serhat E., Hakan H. and Hugo G., who have been in custody for over a month. Serhat E. is to be expelled to France because he has an asylum application underway there.
