The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil, started on June 25, 2012 in front of the Council of Europe (CoE) headquarters in Strasbourg, France, had been banned by the Bas-Rhin Governorate on its 333rd week.

There had been clashes with the police during the mass demonstration held in the same area in early November to protest the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, after which the vigil was also banned.

The preparation committee’s initiatives managed to get the ban lifted by court order last week, but the week’s vigil that Kurdish patriots were to hold was banned again on different grounds.

DORTMUND TAKES OVER THE VIGIL THIS WEEK

The preparation committee announced that they are to continue the vigil “with the same resolve” on the 338th week despite all bans. A group from Dortmund, Germany is taking over the vigil this week.

The Dortmund group, made up of Kurdish patriots Resul Ay, Veli Davulcu, Bahri Qamislo and Fahti Amed, issued a statement and stressed that the fight for Öcalan’s freedom will continue.

WE WON’T GIVE UP ON THE LEAEDER

The group condemned the ban against the vigil and stressed that the Kurds have a rightful cause, and the Leader is among their indispensables. They also pointed out that the sacrificing of the Kurds’ cause to financial and political gain “is a shame” and stressed that the protest will continue until the Kurdish People’s Leader is free.

The activists offered their condolences for the people who lost their lives in the attack carried out by alleged ISIS member Cherif Chekatt in Strasbourg.