Almost one hundred years after the Treaty of Lausanne, a three-day demonstration of the initiative "Defend Kurdistan" against genocide and occupation is taking place from Lausanne to Geneva. The march under the slogan "Defend Kurdistan against Turkish occupation" started from Château d'Ouchy where the Treaty of Lausanne had been signed.

Hundreds of people, including politicians, civil society organizations, revolutionary institutions, artists, writers and academics from Kurdistan, Turkey, Switzerland and Europe gathered in front of the Château d'Ouchy building where the demonstration began with a minute’s silence for the martyrs of the Kurdistan freedom struggle.

Democratic Kurdish Community Center of Switzerland (CDK-S) co-chairs made the opening speech and saluted the guerrilla struggle against occupation and genocidal attacks in four parts of Kurdistan.

Speaking after, KNK co-chair Ahmet Karamus pointed out the efforts to deprive the Kurdish people of their rights which they have attained through an occupation and genocide concept as the hundredth anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne approaches.

“Wherever we are, we as the Kurdish people will not allow another Treaty of Lausanne based on the resistance of the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan against the concept of occupation and genocide that is imposed on us, and on the resistance of the guerrillas in the Medya Defense Zones. In response to these occupation and genocide attacks that are carried out with the partnership of European states and supported by the KDP, we will reclaim the resistance of the Leader and the guerrillas, and continue with our struggle with the goal of achieving Kurdish national unity.”

KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council Member Zübeyir Aydar announced their rejection of another Treaty of Lausanne imposed on the Kurdish people.

Aydar criticized the “supporters of these genocidal and invading forces”, citing the German state banning the congress of the KCDK-E (European Democratic Kurdish Society Congress). He stressed that attacks on the democratic institutions of the Kurds in Europe were equal to Turkish state fascism.

“We will achieve Kurdish national unity in response to the genocidal forces that seek to repeat and resume this treaty,” he added.

Further speeches of solidarity were made by Swedish politicians and activists including Franziska Meinherz of SolidaritéS, mayor of Le Mont Philippe Somsky, Greens MP for Lausanne Alice Genoud, Julien Eggenberger of the Socialist Party, Valentin Augsburger of the Labor Party and a representative of the Defend Kurdistan Initiative. The speakers called for solidarity with the struggle of the Kurdish people.

Following the speeches in the name of the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Europe (TJK-E), Democratic Union Party (PYD), European Revolutionary Forces Union, Iran-KDP and United Forces of Struggle, the crowd started their march chanting slogans against occupation and genocide.

The activists reached the city of Rennes at noon.