British police raided the Kurdish Community Centre (KCC) in Haringey, London and the homes of Kurdish activists early on Wednesday morning, detaining a number of prominent figures, including Türkan Budak and Agit Karataş, respectively co-chair and foreign relations representative of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Assembly in Britain (KPDA), and writer and politician Ali Poyraz. The raids, involving dozens of officers, saw doors smashed in with sledgehammers and streets blocked off.
Witnesses say the police used excessive force, with Poyraz handcuffed behind his back and residents ordered to the ground. Türkan Budak’s brother Hayri Budak was injured attempting to prevent police from breaking into her home.
KPDA co-chair Sait Suruç condemned the operation, calling on revolutionary and democratic groups to gather in solidarity outside the KCC building.
While the justification for the searches remains unclear, critics claim the target of the actions is Kurdish political activism. As tensions rise, local leaders are stressing the importance of keeping the inevitable demonstrations peaceful.
