On 19 August the AKP dismissed the democratically and freely elected mayors of Amed, Van and Mardin and replace them with trustees. 

Since then, people and administrators are keeping a Democracy Vigil. The action has reached day 26.

In Amed the vigil is on Lise Street, opposite the municipality. As in the previous days, police surrounded the area with armored barriers and vehicles.

HDP deputies Musa Farisioğulları, Semra Güzel, Mensur Işık and İmam Taşçıer participated in the Vigil on Thursday.

HDP representatives in the Black Sea region were also among the participants.

Despite the blockade, a large number of people joined the action and opened a banner saying "Don't touch my will”.

Artists from the Mesopotamian Cultural Center (MKM) also joined the action chanting slogans such as "Resisting resisting we will win".

Then the members of the Mardin, Batman and Amed branches of the 78s  Associationmarched to the Vigil with a banner saying "We condemn the 12 September military coup". Indeed yesterday was the 39th anniversary of the 12 September 1980 coup.

The police threatened the artists saying they would seize their instrument.

Members of the Board of Directors of the '78s association made a statement on the anniversary of the Coup.

After that, a statement was made by HDP Amed Provincial co-chair Zeyat Ceylan, who reminded that back in 1980 too Kurds were targeted.

“The trustee mentality is a mentality based on the denial of the society. - said Ceylan - We insist that the fascist mentality cannot hold the society under pressure."

HDP Black Sea assembly member Hüseyin Taka said that the appointment of the trustees "is a big blow to the peace and democracy of the country”.

Taka stated that the HDP had three weapons against the attacks: "Struggle, patience and solidarity. No one can destroy us."

Speaking on behalf of MKM, film director Ilham Bakir, said that the appointment of the trustee is not legal and added: “For decades, our people continue their resistance against the illegality and repression. They are defending their will. We know that this decision is not a legitimate decision. The whole world and the AKP know very well that this decision is against the law. We were prevented from coming to the Vigil with our instruments. Why do people fear an instrument? We know very well that they fear folk songs. Because folk songs are stronger than those who make laws."

Following the speeches, the people at the Vigil wanted to move towards the municipality but the police prevented them.