Amed protest continues on day 21

The Democracy Vigil in Amed has reached day 21. People are protesting the seizure of three HDP-run municipalities by the AKP.

HDP Amed, Van and Mardin metropolitan municipality co-mayors have been dimissed by the the AKP-MHP and replaced by trustees in the latest of the political coup by the regime.

People in Amed have been on the streets protesting the decision for 21 days, since the Ministry of Interior appointed the trustees.

The people meet every day in Lise Street chanting slogans such as "From resistance to victory".

HDP provincial and district organizations, Amed district co-mayors, HDP deputies Saliha Aydeniz and Hişyar Özsoy, Peace Mothers Assembly, Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA) activists, Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı joined the 21st day of  protest.

Amed Medical Chamber and KESK (the trade union confederation of public workers) also supported the action.

Police tried to prevent the crowd from joining the action but the people pressed in. 

'We won't fall into their game'

HDP Provincial co-chair Zeyat Ceylan, speaking at a press conference after the sit-in  said: "They are trying to bring us down and divide us, but they will not succeed. We will not fall into this game. The HDP is ready for whatever job needs to be done. Let's build peace together."

Selma Güngör, Member of the Central Council of the Chamber of Physicians, said: "We all have the same rights and we all have the right to be respected while exercising our rights.

Therefore, the removal of Amed co-mayor Selçuk Mızraklı as well as the co-mayors of Mardin and Van is a violation of the rights of the people who voted for them."

Baki Öndeş from KESK Branches Platform said: "You cannot manage this country by polarizing it. We will continue our struggle for democracy as mass organizations. We will fight until the trustees leave".

Finally, DDKD manager Abdulheyk Okumuş said: "This is a problem of the Kurdish people. They confiscate the will of the Kurdish people and the trustees, they put the deputies in prison. The Kurdish people do not recognize the trustees. The people will continue their struggle until the trustees leave."