Preparations have continued for days, and the Newroz in Amed continues in all its glory after having greeted its guests in the morning hours. Over 1 million people are expected to gather under the slogan “We will prevail” in the Newroz grounds that are already filling up. Interest in Newroz is high from the city center, all districts of the city, neighboring cities, metropolitan areas and abroad. Although it’s a week day, the city turned towards the Newroz grounds with the first light of day.

The trustee municipality didn’t assign buses for the celebrations while the people rented vehicles from several different points throughout the city to come to the grounds. Amed’s private long distance buses and all taxis are mobilized to transport the people to the Newroz grounds. Buses travel through every stop to pick up people free of charge. There is great solidarity in Amed and even private vehicles are utilized. People leave for the Newroz grounds from all over the city, chanting “Bijî Newroz” through windows, flashing victory signs and honking. From around the Yeniköy Cemetery, groups of people get in truck beds and tractors to ride to the grounds. Most of the people prefer walking, and the numbers of people flocking to the Newroz grounds increase by the minute. Groups come together in intersections close to the grounds and march to the 5 control points around the perimeter.

Mass transport from the historic Sur district also started in the morning. People gathered in the streets in the district where the curfew continues in some parts and marched to the main avenue, chanting through the narrow streets on their way. Amed residents rode the minibuses along the city walls in Sur to the Newroz grounds. They passed through the historic locations in the district wearing their traditional clothes and brought the colors of Newroz together with history. The strongest attendance to Newroz is from the Bağlar district where people march toward the grounds in groups.

Students refused to attend classes today and arrived in Newroz Park in groups. High schools in the city are mostly empty while university students are both on duty in the grounds and are helping with the security. Students danced to anthems while they waited to be allowed into the grounds.

The park has been preparing for today for days. It is adorned with yellow red and green banners and balloons, and 20 tonnes of wood have been stacked in the middle of the grounds for the Newroz bonfire. After hours of searches, the crowd was allowed into the grounds by 9.30. With the doors opening, there was a congestion. Young people comprise a large portion of the crowd and chant “Bijî Serok Apo” and “The youth is Apo’s guardians”.

The youth attending the celebrations took their place in the grounds after a march and started dancing, singing and chanting slogans. The police attempted provocations at the Bağlar checkpoint where the crowds were the most dense, but the people refused to step back and continued to enter the grounds. Police intervened with tear gas and water cannons, but the people continued into the grounds, chanting “Bijî Serok Apo” as they crossed the checkpoint. Many were battered and detained.

The crowds chanted referendum slogans, wave their banners of “Na” and “Hayır”, “no” in Kurdish and Turkish respectively, and shout “We won’t allow you to be president”.

Long lines have formed as people are only allowed into the grounds through the park’s entrance. Yellow red and green banners reading “no” are waving in the breeze throughout the grounds. Citizens dance to the Newroz songs played through the sound-system on the stage.

Journalists were allowed into the press platform after they were searched thoroughly with bomb searching dogs.

Amedspor’s Resistance Fan Association members came into the grounds as a group. The football fans chanted “Resistance has good fortune” (a play on the Turkish using the same word for “good fortune” and “no”) and displayed their colors through anthems and songs in Kurdish.