The World Kobanê Day has been celebrated by the Kurds and their friends around the world.

VIENNA

In Austria’s capital Vienna, Kurds and their friends came together on 1 November World Kobanê Day.

People gathered at the Vienna Democratic Kurdish Society Centre for an enthusiastic celebration. The PYD Austria Representative held a speech about the special importance of that day. The event continued with the performances of different artists.

STOCKHOLM

The celebrations in the Swedish capital Stockholm took place at the Norra Bantorget Square in front of the Swedish Worker’s Unions Confederation.

During the event, where people danced Kurdish traditional dance halay, Swedish Worker’s Union Central Organization representative Lena Törnlof helda speech in which she stated that the decisive fight of the Kurds in Rojava beginning in 2012, first in Syria, then against ISIS, made it possible to build up an equal society in Rojava. Törnlof elaborated that “we support their struggle for freedom and socialism. Rojava must be a role model for all of us and there is much we will learn from our fighting comrades there.”

Tina Ericson, from the Left Party’s youth organization, underlined the importance of solidarity with Rojava, and stated that the Turkish state’s hostile attitude against Rojava and the Kurds is unacceptable.

Ferah Bozcali, who spoke for the Amara Kurdish Women’s Assembly and the Sara Women’s Union, stressed that the resistance of Kobanê and the revolution of Rojava became symbols of freedom for oppressed peoples because of the heroism and sacrifice of the YPG/YPJ fighters, and that the victory is a product of the views and philosophy of Kurdish People’s Leader Öcalan.

Speeches given from a truck, which was constantly driving ahead of the demonstrating cortege, exposed the Turkish state’s hostility against Rojava or underlined the importance of solidarity with Rojava. In the streets the demonstrators walked through, yellow, red and green colored smoke rose up.

Jakob Svensson from the Marxist Students spoke at the Raoul Wallenberg Square, recalling the audience that the Kobanê resistance is a turning point for the Middle East, and accused the US and all imperialist forces of turning Syria into a ruin.

Svensson, who also remarked that states like Turkey and Saudi Arabia support and finance ISIS, called upon the Swedish government to stop selling weapons to dictatorial countries and to show solidarity with the people of Rojava instead.

GÄVLE

The Kobanê victory was celebrated with an event in the provincial center of Gävle, which is located in the Dalarna region of Sweden.

The event took place at the Storatorget Square, where Gävle NCDK President Caziye Elma, Left Party municipal assembly member Jin Akgül Haco, Social Democrat Worker’s Party municipal assembly member Asa Wiklund Lang, Kurdistan Solidarity Committee President Benny Gustafsson held speeches about the Kobanê victory and solidarity with the Rojava Revolution.

“We know what ISIS did and that they sold women as slaves. We appreciate the Kurdish people’s struggle against that” stated Åsa Wiklund Lång and continued saying that the Social Democrat Worker’s Party will continue its solidarity with the Kurds.

Benny Gustafsson, who saluted the participants by calling them “Hevalno” (Comrades), stated that “Rojava is the hope of progressive humanity. We are not alone, we are everywhere around the world and our hope will grow.” He called on the Swedish government and the European Union to show solidarity with Rojava.

The Kurdish youth danced halay to the Kurdish, French and Persian music of Iranian artist Mahoo.

Local newspaper Arbetarbladet published an article about Rojava on 1 November World Kobanê Day.

The article was signed by Gävle NCDK co-presidents Caziye Elma and Abdullah Kaya, whose article dealt with Turkey’s threats and aggressions against Rojava and the importance of solidarity with Rojava.

OSLO

The Kurds and their friends in Norway’s capital Oslo have celebrated the World Kobanê Day with great enthusiasm. Hundreds of people, among them Kurds from all four parts of Kurdistan and representatives of Norwegian Parties and institutions, gathered in front of the Oslo train station. Then, they passed through Oslo’s most lively Karl Johan Street and walked to the parliament, chanting slogans in Norwegian and waving YPG/YPJ flags. Slogans like “long live YPG/YPJ”, “solidarity with Kurdistan, freedom for Kurdistan” filled the streets of Oslo.

PJAK central committee member Ehwan Chiyako, Erling Folkvord in the name of the Solidarity With Kurdistan Group and representatives of the Socialist and Red Party held speeches in front of the parliament.

During the event organized by the Kurdish Youth and the Kurds of the Sun, the people celebrated by dancing halay and singing anthems until late in the evening.

MARSEILLE

The World Kobanê Day was also celebrated in the French city Marseille.

The celebration took place in front of the Marseille Democratic Kurdish Society Center, at the Vieux-Port Square.

The celebrations, in which hundreds of people participated, began with a minute of silence and continued with speeches in Kurdish and French.

Music was played by the Koma Awazen Raperin group of the Tev Cand Cultural Center.

DARMSTADT

In the German city Darmstadt, the World Kobanê Day was celebrated at the Luisenplatz. Hundreds of Kurds chanted “Biji Serok Apo” slogans and danced halay during the celebration.

STUTTGART

The celebration to mark the World Kobanê Day in the German city Stuttgart was organized by the Solidarity With Kurdistan Initiative, and supported by Ciwanen Azad, YXK/JXK, Nav-Dem, IMI, Villingen-Schweningen Leftist Action, Arbeitskreis Solidarität and Arbeitskreis Internationalismus.

During the demonstration, which started at Lautenschlager street, the first speech was held by Die Linke MP Tobias Flüger. Criticizing the German state’s attitude against Kurdish politicians and institutions, Flüger elaborated that “the German Ministry of Internal Affairs banned the symbols of the YPG. Their attitude means to criminalize the Kurds as such. We want this and the PKK ban to end. We say that we do not want our government to work with the Erdogan regime.”

After walking through the streets, the participants reached the Schlossplatz Square.

The event was meant to call for the freedom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and it was underlined that the revolution of Rojava represents a women’s revolution, which needs to be defended.

The event at Schlossplatz Square concluded with the participants dancing halay.

It was striking that throughout the event, the police had a very understanding and caressing attitude.

BORDEAUX

The actions for Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan were initiated under the lead of the Women’s Movement and continue with a meeting and information tent.

The information tent set up on 1 November at the Victoire Square will remain until 11 November.

PARIS

The event to mark World Kobanê Day was organized by the France Kurdish Women Movement (TJK-F) and France Democratic Kurdish Council (CDK-F) and took place at the Paris Democratic Kurdish Society Center.

The event also hosted Esmael Mameli’s photo exhibition about the struggle of YPJ fighters and Mylen Sauloy’s Women’s Fight (Guerre des filles) documentary about the Kobanê resistance.

The event, in which Kurds and friends of Kurds participated, began with a minute of silence dedicated to the martyrs of the revolution. During the event, it was expressed that the resistance of Kurdish women is the resistance of Kobanê and the hope of humanity.

DRANCY

The World Kobanê Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Paris’ Drancy Banlieue with a concert of TEV-CAND.

YPG and YPJ flags were raised at the Drancy Democratic Kurdish Society Center’s event on World Kobanê Day. Saluting the Rojava revolution, demonstrators expressed that the resistance of Kurdish women has become the hope of all oppressed peoples in the world.

On stage were Paris TEV-CAND Assembly’s artists Nuarin, Farqin Azad, Hozan Maruf, Cihan Semsur, Diyar Ören, Seydo Manaz, Deza Amed and the Drancy DTKM Choir.

The event was participated by hundreds of people from Kurdistan and concluded with chanting the slogans “Biji soresa Rojava”, “Biji Serok Apo”.

MANTES LA JOLIE

In Mantes la Jolie, a car convoy toured the city to mark World Kobanê Day with photos of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and YPG/YPJ flags.

In the convoy, which attracted wide interest, “Biji Serok Apo” slogans were chanted.

MADRID

A demonstration was held in Madrid in solidarity with the Kurdish people, in commemoration of the November 1 World Kobanê Day, against the islamic fascism of ISIS and Turkey.

The demonstration began around 6 pm, in Turso de Molina, followed by Atocha Street, to end with a play and dances in the Plaza of the Province of Madrid, Spain.

The Rojava Azadi Platform issued a call for this mobilization the international day of support for Kobanê, and invited to the people to "know that we believe this movement can contribute so much in our struggle and our way of seeing and changing the world".

Demonstrators walked through the streets with YPG/YPJ flags and Abdullah Öcalan photos, and with posters demanding an end to arms sale to Turkey, condemning Erdogan's fascism against the Kurds, and saluting the revolutionary resistance of the Kurdish movement in Rojava and all the world.