As part of the international campaign for the release of Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question, several demonstrations by the Kurdish internationalist youth movement took place on Saturday in various countries, including in Germany.

The demonstrations were organized by the Movement of Militant Young Women (Jinên Ciwan ên Têkoşer, TekoJIN) and the Revolutionary Youth Movement (Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger, TCŞ). The organizations demand immediate access by the legal team and family members to Öcalan, who is imprisoned in Turkey, and ultimately his release under conditions that allow him to play a role in finding a political solution to the Kurdish question.

Hamburg

Before the demonstration started in Hamburg, Emin Amed gave a speech on behalf of the Kurdish youth movement. The activist talked about the prison situation of Abdullah Öcalan, who has been "completely isolated from the outside world on the prison island of Imrali for years.  

Öcalan's voice is more necessary than ever for peace and an end to the dictatorship in Turkey because he is the only political actor with a plan for the Kurdish question, without which the Turkish people cannot find peace."

Amed emphasized that the youth see themselves as responsible for the freedom of “Öcalan, because he is the red line for the Kurdish people. Therefore, our resistance will continue until the isolation of the representative of Kurdish society is lifted and his voice reaches the outside world.”

Düsseldorf

A demonstration in Düsseldorf saw a sea of white flags with Öcalan's portrait could be seen, as well as a large front banner with the campaign's slogan. “Bê Serok Jiyan Nabe”, in English “No life without the president” was one of the central slogans during the protest.

“Young people have a pioneering role to play in the fight for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan,” said a participant in the demonstration. He called on young people who strive for a life based on values such as women's liberation, grassroots democracy and just ecology to support the global campaign for the release of Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question. 

Bremen

In Bremen, Kurdish youth activists took part in a demonstration called “Freedom for Rojava” to express their demand for a free Öcalan. Organized by the Bremen branch of the “Defend Kurdistan” initiative, the protest was essentially about Turkey’s attacks against the autonomous region of northern and eastern Syria, which violate international law.

It was said that Turkish head of state Erdoğan has been attacking the region militarily for years with the clear and obvious aim of displacing Kurds. “But both German politics and the media landscape here ignore this unjustified violence,” said one demonstrator.

Frankfurt

People from Mannheim, Mainz, Darmstadt, Gießen, Hanau and Offenbach also took part in a demonstration in Frankfurt for the release of Abdullah Öcalan.

A call was made to take part in a demonstration in Berlin on 18 November against the ban on the PKK's activity in Germany that was imposed thirty years ago. 

Vienna

Further demonstrations as part of the Öcalan campaign took place in Austria's capital, Vienna, as well as in Zurich and Lausanne in Switzerland.

There were also protests today in Italy, Belgium and France. Demos have also been announced for Sunday.