Upon a midnight order from Turkish Ministry of Interior, the metropolitan municipalities of Amed (Diyarbakır), Van and Mardin, run by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), were seized by the AKP regime with through replacement of the elected mayors with governors of the mentioned cities on August 19.

Following the suspension of the mayors, police forces laid a siege on the three municipalities and launched a crackdown against HDP members and people who took to the streets in protest at the unlawful seizure of their municipalities. Protests continue in the form of Democracy Vigil in the three and many other cities to reclaim the municipalities since.

The Democracy Vigil in front of the HDP headquarters in Mardin continued on day 43 under police blockade.

First songs were sung together, then HDP MP Pero Dündar gave a speech: "There is an attack on the will and rights of the Kurdish people, this is why we are on the streets. Who can stop these attacks? Only the Kurdish people themselves. The women, party and strength of the Kurdish people. The government wants to take revenge on the people for the outcome of the elections. The attacks do not just affect our municipalities. There is also a war policy against Rojava. This government wants war. Who does not recognize us, we do not recognize either. This is not an offense, but a democratic principle. The trustees must be taken back from municipalities before it is too late. We will renounce neither our rights nor the co-presidential system. Today we are here and tomorrow we will be here again.”