A large number of young people gathered in Dortmund city center to protest the attacks on Kurdish culture by dancing the halay.

Young people gathered in Dortmund city center on Sunday to protest the wave of arrests connected to the dancing of the halay to Kurdish music in several weddings on North Kurdistan.

The activists said: "We have gathered here today to make the voices of the Kurdish people heard. Our people have had a rich culture and deep-rooted past throughout history, yet the Turkish government is trying to silence us.

With its heritage spanning thousands of years, Kurdish culture and music are among the common values ​​of not only the Kurdish people but all of humanity. Unfortunately, these values ​​are currently faced with oppression and bans. The Turkish state is trying to destroy this valuable heritage by banning the language, culture and music of the Kurdish people."

The activists added: "This oppression is against universal human rights principles aimed at protecting cultural wealth and diversity. Every people has the right to keep their own culture alive and pass it on to future generations. We believe that Kurds should not be deprived of these rights. Kurdish music is not only a means of entertainment, but also an expression of the people’s history, pain, joy and hope. Banning this music is silencing the voice of a people and denying their existence.”

The activists added: "We are protesting the injustices done to Kurdish culture and music by raising our voices against this oppression. The purpose of our gathering here is to protect the cultural richness of not only the Kurdish people, but all of humanity. We will continue to make our voices heard and continue our struggle until cultural oppression ends. The bans on Kurdish culture and music should be lifted immediately and the cultural rights of the Kurdish people should be recognized. We declare that we will stand together and in solidarity against this oppression and continue our struggle to keep Kurdish culture alive. Let’s protect our cultural richness and put an end to  oppression!"