HDP Group Deputy Chairperson Saruhan Oluc and MPs Garo Paylan, Meral Danis Bestas, Hisyar Ozsoy, Remziye Tosun, Semra Guzel and Musa Farisogullari met by the municipality building in the morning, and were joined by a crowd soon.

Amed Co-mayor Selcuk Mizrakli joined the crowd and was greeted with chants of “Amed ya me ye” (Amed is ours) and “Bijî berxwedana Amedê”.

The HDP group held a press statement in the afternoon.

HDP Group Deputy Chairperson Saruhan Oluc said the legitimate resistance has entered day five and continued: “This government has committed a great crime. The leader of Justice and Development Party Tayyip Erdogan has committed a great crime through Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. They have committed a constitutional crime.”

Oluc said the trustee appointments are also in violation of international treaties Turkey has signed: “They willfully committed this crime. They planned for it. They started planning before the elections on March 31.”

Oluc said: “A willfully committed crime is a greater crime. They committed the greatest.”

“This is a grave coup,” said Oluc and added that the takeover of municipalities on August 19 is the “third political coup”.

Oluc said: “We will continue to pursue our cause for justice, law and democracy in the most legitimate way against this political coup and this crime. The people will never give up this legitimate resistance.”

Oluc continued: “We will show our civil disobedience. In every area, every day. We will show that we do not accept this crime.”

Oluc said Erdogan had signalled this political coup before the elections with a threat to takeover the municipalities: “They cannot tolerate the Kurdish people electing their own officials, governing themselves. That is why they committed this crime.”

A peace mother also spoke at the protest and said, “We say every day that we want peace and freedom. What right do they have to do this to us?”