Kurds and supporters of their cause took to the streets on Saturday 27 November – which marked the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – and demanded the immediate lifting of the ban against the PKK.
The crowd gathered in Berlin Hermannplatz in the early hours of the morning and marched to Sonnenalle, Pannierstr, Glogauerstr, Wienerstr, Oranienstr and into Oranienplatz Square, where the demonstration turned into a rally.
The meeting started with a minute’s silence and then KON-MED co-chair, Zübeyde Zümrüt, spoke to the crowds.
“We are grateful, thousands of times, to those who laid the foundations of the Freedom Movement in the village of Fis. We bow respectfully in front of them.
“Women, young people, everyone from 7 to 70, for the struggle of the Kurdish people, for the recognition of the status of the Kurdish people, until the attacks against the liberation guerrillas in Bashure Kurdistan end, until we achieve victory, we will continue to be in the streets. We’re going to raise our struggle every day,” she said.
After the speeches ended, thousands continued to march with slogans and anthems.
The PKK is recognised as a ‘terrorist organisation’ by Turkey, the US and the EU.
In 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that the PKK was wrongly included on the EU list of ‘terrorist organisations’ between 2014 and 2017 and in 2020, the Belgium Court of Cassation ruled that the PKK could not be classified as a ‘terrorist organisation.’
Against the PKK being listed as a ‘terrorist organisation’ in many countries, Kurdish people have been continuously opposing such labelling and criminalisation and have been organising protests throughout the world arguing that the “PKK is a national liberation movement and decriminalisation of the PKK is necessary to establish peace in Turkey and the Middle East.”
