Protesters took to the streets in major European cities on Monday to show their support for people being brutally attacked in northern Syria’s Rojava, a region governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). The demonstrations were led by Kurdish organisations in Europe and Kurdish solidarity groups.
The demonstrations took place in the main European capitals, including Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Bern and Nicosia. Kurdish organisations and supporters of the Kurdish people marched in tens of other cities on Monday. The demonstrators drew attention to the attacks of the Turkish state and the Turkish-backed mercenaries of the Syrian National Army (SNA) on the territory of AANES, especially in the western region of Manbij (Minbîc), where fierce clashes are taking place.
Thousands of people mobilised across Europe, with demonstrations and marches reported in Frankfurt (Germany), Munich, Dortmund, Freiburg, Losanne (Switzerland), Marseille (France), Turin (Italy), Malmö (Sweden) and other cities in France, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland and, outisde Europe, in Toronto (Canada).
Many young people took part in the demonstrations in Germany, France and Italy to show their solidarity. Youths in Italy and other European countries held seminars on the recent developments in Syria and drew attention to the ‘Rojava Revolution’ as a hope for the democratisation of Syria and the whole Middle East.
Youth from the Internationalist Commune of Rojava and solidarity networks, including RiseUp4Rojava and Defend Kurdistan, released a solidarity video on the recent attacks and displacement of people towards AANES. The groups highlighted the resistance of the people against the attacks of the jihadist forces and the Turkish state, and the increase of violence in the Middle East as a whole. They called for support for the Rojava Revolution and the AANES administration as an example of popular unity, political stability and hope for peace.
