A major rally against the 30-year ban on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Germany is planned for 18 November in Berlin. The demonstration will take place as part of a month of action with many different event formats, which the campaign against the ban has been promoting for some time.

The Mesopotamian Free Society Federation (FED-MED) released a statement calling for strong participation in the rally.

The statement released by FED-MED on Monday said: “On 26 November 1993, Germany imposed a ban on PKK activity in the country in an attempt to terrorise the PKK, which is the self-defense force, defender and protector of the Kurds and all oppressed peoples. This ban paved the way for the EU to list the PKK as a terrorist organisation in 2004. The German state’s approach towards the PKK reflects its approach towards the Kurds. We know only too well what the PKK means.”

The statement continued: “The global hegemonic powers’ negative attitude against the PKK is aimed at preventing the Kurds’ and all oppressed societies’ struggle for freedom and democracy, and even annihilating them. While Capitalist Modernity’s state of crisis makes life miserable for humanity and while the struggle for Democratic Modernity, humanity’s hope for emancipation, is concretized in the PKK, the global powers’ hostile approach against the PKK summarizes everything. The PKK movement has fought a struggle for the freedom and liberation of the Kurdish people since 1978, always in accordance with the international conventions and the law of war. This reality has made the PKK the pioneer of all oppressed societies, and the revolutionary struggle has achieved an international identity. This reality alarms the powers of Capitalist Modernity. The PKK, which is an ideological movement, guides the revolutionary struggle, receiving increasing support from all oppressed circles. The German state’s treatment of the PKK must be recognized on this basis. We must express our reaction very strongly against the German state’s unlawful ban in its 30th year. We must be in Berlin on 18 November to defend and embrace the PKK.”

FED-MED concluded: “On this basis, we call on all our people and friends to stand up for the PKK, which advocates and fights for the Kurdish people’s and oppressed societies’ rights to life, freedom and democracy, and pays a price for this cause, and to take a strong and decisive stance for the removal of the German state’s 30-year-old ban against the activities of the PKK.”