The campaign named “Let’s Create a Democratic and Free Society, Beat the Rape” was launched in Hakkari on Saturday. Police attacked those who attended towards the end of the opening ceremony.

The campaign against rape will last one year. Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Emine Ayna, Sabahat Tuncel, woman mayors from BDP, associations of women, NGOs and some human rights organizations attended the launch of the campaign in Hakkari.

Thousands of women marched in the city carrying flags and banners and chanting slogans.

Women wearing the traditional Kurdish costumes marched alongside young and older women. At the end of the march the women set on fire a puppet of Iranian president Mahmid Amhadinejad to protest against the executions in Iran last Sunday.

It was at this point that the police attacked the women throwing gas bombs.