Kurdish people living in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands staged marches and rallies demanding freedom for Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

GERMANY - HAMBURG

A rally for the freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan was staged in Hamburg, and the German state's support for the oppressive Turkish government was protested.

The rally was held in Alton district where speeches were made by Hamburg Left Party parliamentarian Martin Dolzer and Rojbîn Women's Council’s Anja Flach and Bedia Demir.

While Demir stressed the aggravated isolation imposed on Öcalan and evaluated the related implications on the Middle Eastern societies, parliamentarian Martin Dolzer expressed reactions to the policies of the German state in support of the Erdoğan government amid their omnipresent oppressions on the Kurds. Dolzer highlighted that Abdullah Öcalan's proposed system of Democratic Confederalism will initiate an era of peace in the Middle East.

When the mass set to start the march, the German police interfered and demanded the removal of the pictures depicting Öcalan. Female activist and writer Anja Flach held thereupon a speech in which she criticized the German police for deigning to the dictatorial practices of Erdoğan, and stated that the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan form a system of democracy, ecology and women's liberation in Rojava Kurdistan. Flach ended her speech with the words: "The freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is the freedom of Rojava and all of us."

GERMANY - DUISBURG

Another march was staged in German city Duisburg to express the demand for the freedom of the Kurdish leader and all political prisoners to the public, and to protest the massacres on the Kurdish people.

Nearly 1000 Kurdish demonstrators gathered in front of the central station and opened up placards and banners that read "Freedom for Öcalan, Status for Kurdistan". Following initiatory speeches in Kurdish and German, the mass marched until the municipality of Duisburg.

The speakers said: "The attacks on the Kurdish people, their values and beliefs target the demand for freedom. With the last processes, the isolation on our leader has reached a level that cannot be tolerated. We will continue our struggle until we have freed our leader physically."

Speeches were also made on behalf of MLDP.

GERMANY - DARMSTADT AND MANNHEIM

Organized by  Sara Women's Council and supported by Ronahî Bêrivan Council and Democratic Kurdish Society Center (NAV-DEM) in Mannheim, a march was held in Darmstadt city to demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.

The Kurdish protesters gathered at Luisenplatz Square at 14.30, and marched with placards and banners highlighting their demand in German language.

GERMANY - BERLIN

Kurds also gathered in German capital city Berlin and demanded an immediate end to the isolation of Öcalan by the Turkish state.

The march organized by NAV-DEM Berline and DESTDAN Women’s Council was also joined by a group from Eastern (Rojhilat) Kurdistan who protested the mass killings committed by the Iranian regime against the Kurdish people in Rojhilat.

Die Linke Berlin State Parliament MP Hakan Taş also joined the march at Hermannplatz and held a speech. The two hours long march ended in front of the Neuköln Municipality building.

GERMANY – BONN

Another demonstration in Germany took place in the city of Bonn in a joint organisation of Democratic Kurdish Society Centers of Cologne, Dusseldorf and Bonn, with demonstrators from three cities joining the mass demo in large numbers.

In a speech during the demonstration, PYD (Democratic Union) Bonn Branch Chairperson Saleh Çawish remarked that Öcalan, with his philosophy, was with the Kurdish people everywhere in life despite the fact that he is physically held in isolation in İmralı.

Protesters carried images of Öcalan and chanted "Long Live Öcalan”, “Freedom for Öcalan”, “Peace for Kurdistan”, “Long Live Internationalist Solidarity” and “Biji Serok Apo”.

The rally ended with musical performance of Hozan Cömert.

FRANCE - PARIS

Kurdistan people and their friends living in French capital city Paris marched to draw attention to the aggravated isolation on Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, and to demand his freedom.

Upon the initiative of Democratic Kurdish Council in France (CDK-F), a great number of Kurdistan people, joined by ACTIC representatives, gathered in Bastille Square at 18.00 with placards and banners reading "Freedom for Öcalan". Leaflets were distributed that informed on the aggravated isolation imposed on the Kurdish leader.

The mass marched from there to Republique Square where a rally was held. CDK-F member Vedat Bingöl stated in his speech: "The freedom of Öcalan is the freedom of all peoples. It is nearly two years that we do not get any information on our leader. The Turkish fascism sees itself in a pinch against the paradigm promoted by our leader, and started to impose aggravated isolation on him. We will never stop protesting this until we have broken the isolation and freed our leader."

The demonstration ended with chants of the slogan "There is no life without Öcalan" and "Freedom for Öcalan".

FRANCE - MARSEILLE

Following the call of European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E) for Europe-wide demonstrations, Kurdistan people living in French city Marseille took to the streets and protested the isolation on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The mass gathered at Marseille-Canebiere Square and started to march chanting slogans "Freedom for Öcalan", "Long Live the Rojava Revolution", "Terrorist Erdoğan" and "Long Live Leader Apo", carrying banners depicting the Kurdish people's leader and flags of the PKK and Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (TJK-E).

The rally that followed the march at Vieux-Porte Square started with the Kurdish national anthem "Ey Raqib" and chants of the slogan "Martyrs never die", after a minute of silence.

Speeches were held on behalf of Arîn Mîrkan Women's Council and NCDK of Marignane and Marseille. The speaker call on everybody to rise up against the aggravated isolation on Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The march ended with chants of slogans.

FRANCE - LAUSANNE

Kurdistan people and their friends living in Lausanne gathered in front of the church St.Larent to protest the isolation imposed on Öcalan, and demanded his freedom.

The mass held high posters of Öcalan, flags of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) and YPG (People’s Defense Units), also chanting slogans demanding freedom for Öcalan. Leaflets were distributed in French language informing on the isolation imposed on the Kurdish leader.

The speakers stressed the degree to which Öcalan is held in isolation, and demanded an end to these practices. They emphasized that the Kurdish people in all parts of Kurdistan must stand up and support their freedom struggle.

SWITZERLAND - BIEL

Upon the initiative of Democratic Kurdish Society Center (NCDK) in the Swiss city of Biel, Kurdish people joined a demonstration in the city center with posters and banners of Abdullah Öcalan and protested the aggravated isolation imposed on him.

The speakers described the graveness of the isolation imposed on the Kurdish leader by the Turkish state, and called on the international community to act for Öcalan’s release.

The activity ended after the speeches with chants of slogans for the freedom of Öcalan.

AUSTRIA - GRAZ

A march was also staged in Austria, in the city of Graz, against the aggravated isolation imposed on the Kurdish People's Leader.

The march started in front of the Graz-Democratic Kurdish Society Center (NCDK) at Griesplatz Square, and ended at Südtiroler Square. Throughout the activity, that was highly attended by Kurdistan people and their friends, slogans expressing loyalty to Öcalan were chanted and leaflets in German language distributed to the bystanders.

The speakers highlighted in German, Kurdish and Turkish language the isolation Öcalan is held in, describing his captivity as “no more acceptable”. They expressed concerns on the condition and health of the Kurdish people's leader, and called the practices against him direct attacks against the Kurdish people. The speakers called for diplomatic efforts that would encourage the Turkish state to end the policies of isolation and torture on the Kurdish leader, and emphasised that Öcalan is the guarantor for peace in the Middle East.

BELGIUM - BRUSSELS

Kurds living in Belgium, Brussels, staged a march by the initiative of Young Women's Movement, to demand freedom for Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The Kurdish people gathered at Schumann Square with posters and banners of Öcalan, and marched until Port Namur Square.

At the rally that followed there, a press statement was made, and leaflets in French language were distributed among the people. The activity ended with the slogan "Long Live Leader Apo".

ATHENS

In Greek capital Athens, Kurds gathered at Syntagma Square where they opened a stand and distributed flyers highlighting their demand for freedom for the Kurdish leader.

Speeches in Greek and Kurdish on behalf of Athens People’s Assembly and Women’s Assembly demanded freedom for the Kurdish leader.

On the other hand, Lavrion People’s Assembly staged a march from Lavrion Camp to the city center. Statement on behalf of the Lavron Committee condemned the isolation on Öcalan.

AMSTERDAM

In Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands, hundreds of Kurds staged a march and demanded freedom for Öcalan and all political prisoners. The march ended at Museumplein.