Newroz celebrations continue in North and East Syria, commonly known as Rojava, with tens of thousands gathering in the Syrian Kurdish cities of Kobani (Kobanê) and Aleppo on Friday.
The festivities in Aleppo and Kobani, originally scheduled for Thursday along with other Kurdish areas, were postponed due to bad weather.
From the early hours of the morning, residents began to gather at designated celebration sites. People from different ethnic backgrounds, including Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Armenians, Assyrians and Circassians, adorned the scene with vibrant traditional costumes. Before the programme began, the participants performed the traditional halay dance, accompanied by chants and slogans.
During the speeches, the importance of intensifying the struggle for the freedom of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan and the solution of the Kurdish question was emphasised. After lighting the Newroz fire in Kobani, the speakers stressed that “the occupiers can never extinguish the Newroz fire“.
The celebrations continued with performances by music, dance and theatre groups, culminating in traditional dances in both places.
Newroz celebrations in Afrin (Efrîn) and Shahba cantons, which were also postponed due to bad weather, will take place on Saturday, according to the Newroz Preparatory Committee.
