Demonstrations for Shengal in many European cities

On the anniversary of the beginning of the Shengal genocide, actions took place in Gießen, Berlin, Cologne, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Achim, Heilbronn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Wesel, Stuttgart, Switzerland, Sweden and France.

August 3 marked the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the genocide against the Yazidi people of the Shengal region. All around Europe people commemorated the mass murder and femicide under the eyes of the world public.

Berlin: Protest rally in front of the Parliament

In front of the German Parliament in Berlin, a protest rally was held by the Kurdish women's association Dest-Dan, Nav-Yek and various other Kurdish associations.

Nûjiyan Günay gave the opening speech and said: "Especially the Yazidi faith was attacked. The Yazidi people are wanted destroyed. The Ottomans had committed massacres before, but had not been successful. This genocide is in the Ottoman tradition. Nine guerrilla fighters stopped the ISIS attack and enabled over one hundred thousand Yazidis to escape. We therefore owe them a lot. We will pay our debt through our struggle."

Cologne - commemoration in front of the cathedral

A commemorative event also took place in the Rhine metropolis of Cologne. Activists gathered in front of the cathedral, following the call of the Viyan Women's Council and Nucan Women's Council from Leverkusen, and first held a minute's silence for the victims. To commemorate the enslavement by the ISIS, women put on black veils and tied their hands.

Demonstration in Gießen

A demonstration took place in Giessen. Led by a banner with the picture of the Yazidi representative Zekî Şengalî (Ismail Özden) killed by a Turkish air raid on 15 August 2018, the activists commemorated the Shengal genocide and condemned the ongoing Turkish attacks against the region.

Protest in Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main

Protesters also gathered in Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main to remember the victims of Shengal genocide. The demonstration in Mannheim was promoted by Yazidi association FEDA-Mannheim, the Kurdish Community Center and the Ronahî-Bêrîvan Women's Council. The activists demanded an autonomous status for Shengal.

The protest in Frankfurt was supported by the Amara and Sara women's councils, Women Defend Rojava and the women's organization ADKH.

Rally in Heilbronn

In Heilbronn a rally was held to commemorate the genocide victims. Activists put on black scarves and reminded of the horrors of the ISIS terror. During the rally the activists repeatedly chanted slogans like "Terrorist Erdoğan".

Demos in Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Wesel

Rallies were held in Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Wesel. In Wesel, the rally was followed by a demonstration where the silence of the world on the genocide against Yazidi community was sharply criticized. The activists chanted "Murderer Erdoğan", "Status for Shengal" and "Long live YBŞ".

Stuttgart: Demonstration at Schlossplatz

In Stuttgart, protesters gathered at Schlossplatz, displayed pictures of the mass murder and handed out leaflets.

Protest action in Achim near Bremen

A rally was also held in Achim near Bremen, where an official status for Shengal was demanded. The co-chairman of the NAV-YEK association, Tuncer Yalınkılıç, pointed out that 3000 Yazidis were still missing. He called for the development of the Shengal region.

Switzerland: Protests in Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur and Zurich

There were also protests in several Swiss cities. Activists gathered in Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur and Zurich and remembered the victims of Shengal genocide.

The crowd chanted slogans including "Kurds are being murdered and Europe is watching".

Rallies in other European cities

Also in Marseille, Uppsala, Copenhagen and Limassol people took to the streets, condemning the massacre and commending the resistance of Shengal.