A demonstration against the genocidal policies and barbaric practices of the Turkish state took place in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday, also to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rojava revolution. The participants gathered at the central Norra Bangorget Square and, after a minute's silence, walked to Sergels Torget Square in memory of those who died in the Kurdish liberation struggle.

The demonstration was led by a banner reading "No to Erdogan's policy of blackmail!" and another banner with the clear message "We are all PKK". The participants carried YPJ, YPG and PKK flags and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan and chanted "Murderer Erdogan", "No to genocide in Kurdistan" and "Bijî berxwedana Rojava" (Long live the resistance in Rojava). Along the march route, statements were constantly made and signatures collected for the removal of the PKK from the "terror list".

At the closing rally, the spokesperson of the Kurdish women's association in Sweden, YJK-Swêd, Ayşe Dîdar, gave a speech and said: "After the celebrations of the Rojava revolution, the murderer Erdoğan wants to demoralise the Kurdish people with his massacres of the civilian population. However, the revolution in Rojava has become a women's revolution for the whole world."

Rıdvan Altun, a member of the diplomatic committee of the Democratic Kurdish Community in Scandinavia, referred to the latest massacre of tourists in Zakho by the Turkish state and said that although the Turkish state tried to attribute responsibility to the PKK, it could not sell this lie to the world. Altun continued: "We condemn the silence of countries which say that human rights are important to them. Sweden in particular should not be silent on the policy of genocide. Negotiations are being held over the Kurdish people in the name of defending Turkey and everyone must now define their stance. The Swedish people should be sensitive to Erdoğan's practices."

According to the Turkish media, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the acting chargé d'affaires of the Swedish embassy in Ankara on Saturday to convey the Turkish government's "sharp reaction" to the presence of "terrorist propaganda" in Sweden. The background is said to be a similar event in Gothenburg last Thursday.