Tens of thousands of Kurds and internationalist protesters marched in Cologne, Germany, on 16 November to demand freedom for imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.
Internationalist activists from countries such as Iran, Germany, France, Bangladesh, India, and Italy joined the rally to express solidarity with the Kurdish cause and to demonstrate how the struggle for Öcalan’s freedom has become a global issue, with voices from the world over underlining the importance of his freedom.
An international campaign for the freedom of Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has been on-going since October 2023. Hundreds of events have been organised worldwide in connection with the campaign, culminating in the march in Cologne on 16 November.
Medya News interviewed internationalists at the Cologne march. We asked them why the political paradigm developed by Öcalan resonates with them.
Participant Mar, from Germany, said that releasing Abdullah Öcalan would be “a solution to the war in the Middle East and the crisis in the world”, and appreciated the sense of solidarity between the large numbers of internationalists at the march.
Flora, a participant from France, said that Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is important “not only for the Kurdish people but for the youth of every country”, and that young people the world over continue to organise themselves around Abdullah Öcalan’s philosophy. “Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is the first step to continue our struggle”, she said, expressing her hope that the march will have an effect.
Follow these links for part one and part two of the interview series from the Cologne march.
