On Monday, thousands of residents mobilised for demonstrations in cities across the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to protest against the Turkish military attacks carried out since 23 October in administration-controlled territories. Demonstrators denounced the attacks and reiterated their commitment to continued resistance.
Turkey’s renewed shelling of AANES territory resulted in tens of deaths, injured many more and caused heavy material damage to vital infrastructure. Civilians took to the streets to raise their voices against these attacks and the Turkish state’s strategy of annihilation, which has targeted vital services leaving millions of people without water and electricity.
Demonstrations were held in the major cities of Qamıshli (Qamişlo) and Kobani (Kobanê), as well as in Al-Hawl (Hol), Shadadah (Şedadê) and Tal Hamis (Til Hemîsê). The demonstrations were organised by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM), Kongra Star and the Social Defence Forces (HPC). Youth, women and elderly people took part in the marches. With slogans, banners and speeches, the people condemned the attacks of Turkey and remembered the victims of the Turkish attacks.
“In order to prevent the development of the model of autonomous administration in northeast Syria, the Turkish state has established cooperation with terror gangs and is attacking the whole area in this way,” Hikmet Hebîb, co-chair of the AANES People’s Parliament, said during his speech in Qamıshli.
“We say to the whole world that we will continue our struggle, we will never be afraid of the Turkish state, with our struggle we will prevent the invading attacks,” said Zelal Elî, the leader of a local Kongra Star Parliament, during the demonstration in Kobani.
The street protests followed a statement shared by Mazloum Abdi, the general commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who called on the people to defend northern Syria against Turkish attacks, which he said aim to destabilise the region and dismantle its autonomy.
