People took to the streets in Europe and Australia in solidarity with Saturday Mothers whose gathering has entered the 700th week today.

The AKP regime has attacked the 700th gathering of the Saturday Mothers. Dozens were detained but the crowd resisted for hours under attack. IHD announced that attendants were tortured, including the mothers. The demonstration has concluded for the week.

VIENNA

A number of people gathered at the central Stephansplatzt Square in Vienna, Austria and unfurled banners in German and English that read “Where are our children?” and “Disappearance is a crime against humanity”.

Holding photographs of victims of disappearances in custody, demonstrators handed out flyers in German and English after a message sent by the Istanbul branch of Human Rights Association (IHD) was read out.

MELBOURNE

Dozens gathered in Melbourne, Australia to give voice to the unrelenting cry of the Saturday Mothers who have been holding sit-in in Taksim’s Galatasaray Square every Saturday for 23 years for the state to declare the faith of their relatives disappeared in custody and for the perpetrators to be put on trial.

Members of Peace and Democracy Bloc gathered in front of the state library where they read stories of those disappeared under custody, delivered speeches and read poems in Turkish and English.

As Saturday Mothers do at Galatasaray Square, demonstrators handed out carnations and lit candles, holding photographs of the victims.

PARIS

Another demonstration in solidarity with Saturday Mothers was held in Paris, France.

The sit-in at Chatelet-Les Halles Square began with a minute’s silence in memory of “martyrs of revolution”.

Representatives of several institutions joined the action, including HDK-France, CDK-F, ACTIT, ODAK, BİR- KAR, FEDA, FUAF, TJK-F, SKB, ADHK, Partizan, SYKP, İCOR and Proletarian Revolutionary Stand. A banner reading “We will not forget, we will not forgive” was unfurled at the scene.

Saluting the 23 years of struggle of Saturday Mothers, speakers stressed that resistance will continue until perpetrators are brought to account.

After speeches, demonstrators handed out hundreds of flyers telling about the victims of disappearance under custody and struggle of Saturday Mothers.

GENEVA

Kurdish, Turkish and Swiss people staged a demonstration following a call of Geneva Initiative in Solidarity with Saturday Mothers. Demonstrators condemned the AKP regime’s brutal crackdown on Saturday Mothers in Istanbul today, and reiterated their call for solidarity with the Saturday Mothers.

“Let’s embrace the resistance of Saturday Mothers in order for truth to unfold” read a banner unfurled at the scene of the demonstration where photographs of disappeared people were staged with carnations.

Messages of institutions supporting the action were read out and flyers in French telling about the struggle of Saturday Mothers were handed out. The action also voiced solidarity with the participants of death fast in the prisons of Turkey and North Kurdistan.

A speech delivered by Mother Saniye, relative of a victim of disappearances, witnessed emotional moments as she called out to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; “Stop deaths, we want peace. Let the tears of mothers stop. We just want to learn the aftermath of our relatives.”

BASEL

Representatives of patriotic, revolutionary and democratic institutions as well as human rights defenders gathered at the central train station following a call made by HDK (Peoples’ Democratic Congress) Basel branch for solidarity with Saturday Mothers.

Demonstrators held photographs of disappeared people and lit candles. Flyers in German handed out at the scene condemned the fascist attack against Saturday Mothers in Istanbul. The demonstration ended following a press statement.

ZURICH

Dozens gathered in front of the St. Jakob Church in Zurich to voice their solidarity with Saturday Mothers.

The action at Stuffacher Square was attended by members of Beritan Women’s Assembly, New Women’s movement, Bund Sozialitscher Frauen (Socialist Women’s Association), Demokratische Frauenbewegung (Democratic Women’s Movement), Lila-Rot Kollektive (Violet-Red Collective), Mor Verein (Violet Union) and Kampushexen (Campus Witches).

Women speaking here made a press statement with the motto “Saturday Mothers are not alone, their rightful struggle is our struggle”.