Messages of resistance were given in the Newroz celebrations in Cizre and Gever, Northern Kurdistan.

CİZRE

The enthusiastic celebration to welcome Kurdish New Year Newroz continues in Şırnak’s Cizre district with slogans “Everywhere Afrin, everywhere resistance”. More people are attending the celebration at the Newroz grounds, including families of Roboski victims, families of victims of Kuşkonar and Koçağaçlı massacres and families and relatives of those burned alive in Cizre. The mass protested the isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, invasion of Afrin, repression against the Kurds, mass arrests and OHAL (State of Emergency) practices.

Following a speech by Newroz Organization Committee and HDP district co-chair Ali Akdeniz, Newroz messages sent by jailed politicians, HDP former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, DBP co-chairs Mehmet Arslan and Sebahat Tuncel and DTK co-chair Leyla Güven were read out.

Speaking after, DBP Şırnak provincial co-chair Yakup Barkın stressed that Botan region (of Northern Kurdistan) was the fortress of resistance.

HDP Party Assembly member Resul Sadak pointed out that the people of Botan remained standing despite numerous unidentified murders, bans and destruction, saying; “They detained hundreds of people before Newroz and wanted to prevent strong participation in celebrations. Botan’s people have always held their heads high.”

GEVER

Newroz is also celebrated in Hakkari’s Gever (Yüksekova) district where people from neighboring villages, districts and neighborhoods started flooding to the Newroz grounds as of early morning.

Banners reading "Azadiya jinê azadiya civakiyê ye" (Freedom of women is freedom of society” and "Newroz pîroz be" (Happy Newroz) were hung in the Newroz area that is filled with thousands, young and old alike, in spite of the police blockade. HDP MPs Lezgin Botan and Dilek Öcalan, DTK Board member Selim Sadak, Peace Mothers and TJA members are also attending the celebration.