A manifestation was held in Rostock on October 10, 2019, expressing solidarity with the Kurdish freedom movement, which is currently exposed to massive attacks by the Turkish military in Northern Syria. We would like to publish the speech by our Kurdish friend and comrade, which he gave at the manifestation, here.
# RiseUp4Rojava
I am a Kurd and grew up in Iran. Solidarity demonstrations and actions for Rojava took place yesterday and today in my home country too. In Iran, this is leading to new waves of repression, arrests and probably executions of Kurds. The Iranian regime wants to use all means to suppress liberal aspirations like in Rojava. We are fighting for a free life in Iran, here in Germany and in Rojava.
I am shocked at how the international allies are looking back at the last years of the struggle in Rojava. Above all, Donald Trump describes the revolutionary liberation struggle as a "dispute over clan". He withdraws because there is supposedly nothing to defend.
We should not be surprised about this withdrawal of the USA, Donald Trump is a business man. He sells the struggle for freedom and progress to Turkey. In recent years we have seen such imperialist strategies in many places around the world.
We have to remember that more than 11,000 revolutionaries have died in Rojava in recent years - Kurds and internationalist supporters. They defended humanity there against IS. Not a single American soldier died there - the United States is now presenting victory over IS as their victory.
Meanwhile, Erdogan dreams of reviving the Ottoman Empire. He realizes the first steps of his neo-Ottoman nationalist expansion policy. Erdogan's "buffer zone", in which 2 million Syrian refugees are to be resettled, is reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's settlement policy after the genocide of the Iraqi Kurds with the Anfal operation from 1988 to 1989.
Erdogan's invasion was first directed against cities in which mostly civilians live. In doing so, he exposes his own terror for what he is: fascist, cruel, inhuman.
In Rojava today we have reached the point where we will either have to give up or resist. We cannot build a future again because we are crushed between the interests of the great powers.
The resistance in Rojava stands for the sacrifice and dedication of the revolutionary fighters to their ideals. This dedication has claimed many victims. The freedom seekers have managed to defeat the cruelest enemy: IS and its atrocities. You are now opposed to Erdogan and Trump. Your dedication will withstand this attack.
The ideas of freedom and justice will not die now. The left advances in Rojava will live on. The emancipation of women, self-governing municipalities, anti-capitalist projects - people in Rojava, in Europe and all over the world will continue to feel devotion and make sacrifices for all of this.
Let us support the resistance in the trenches here and now.
Solidarity for Rojava!
We thank Omid for letting us play his speech here. The picture comes from the rally in Rostock and was made by Bildwerk Rostock. The internationalist campaign # RiseUp4Rojava contains many other rallies and actions against the Turkish military offensive.