Thousands of people joined in a Labour Day demonstration in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır (Amed) on Sunday.
The demonstration was organised by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Workers’ Trade Unions (KESK) and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB).
The slogan of the demonstration is, ‘We will make change together.’
Groups carried banners that read ‘We can’t make a living under this administration / A decent life, not minimum wage’, ‘Out on the streets against wars and anti-democratic rule’, ‘Keda me rumeta me ye’ (Kurdish, meaning ‘Our work is our glory’).
People chanted slogans in Kurdish, ‘Bijî yek Gulan’ (Long live 1 May), ‘Bijî berxwedana karkeran’ (‘Long live the workers’ struggle’).
As they marched, a group of women sang Bella Ciao, an Italian protest song from the late 19th century later adopted as an anthem of Italian partisans who fought against fascist rule between 1943 and 1945, in Turkish.
At the end of the march a rally is planned in which Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP Dersim Dağ, organising committee member Kamuran Taş, KESK representative Gönül Kural and Turkish Medical Association (TTB) representative Halis Yerlikaya are expected to speak.
Music groups will play sets following the speeches.
