Since 2017, long marches for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan have taken place in Europe every February. This year, too, there will be a march to Strasbourg, that will culminate with a Europe-wide demonstration on 17 February in Cologne. The internationalist march starts in Basel, on Sunday, 10February, and at the same time a “Journey to Freedom” (Rêwîtiyên Azadî) organized by the Kurdish youth movement begins in Mannheim. Another demonstration is currently moving through France.

Nora Merino from Catalonia is active in the Jineolojî collective and takes part in the internationalist march. Regarding the preparations and the course of the campaign, she said that this year almost 200 internationalists from Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Catalonia, Basque Country, Portugal, Slovenia, Macedonia, Slovakia and England will participate. The start is on 10 February in Basel. Kurds living in Switzerland have also announced their presence on the first day. In the evening, a cultural event will take place in the Kurdish Social Center in Basel.

End the 25-year imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan

On 11 February the march will continue in the French municipality of Saint-Louis via Mulhouse, Colmar and Sélestat to Strasbourg, where the three demonstrations will join together on 15 February. “We want to end Abdullah Öcalan’s imprisonment for 25 years. On the way to Strasbourg we will submit dossiers in town halls and promote the postcard campaign to Imrali. Discussion programs and seminars are planned for the evenings,” said Nora Merino.

Conference in Strasbourg

A conference will take place in Strasbourg on 16 February. According to Nora Merino, the question discussed will be how the international conspiracy against the Kurdish movement came about and how the people, and especially women, reacted to it. Another point is the importance of Abdullah Öcalan's imprisonment for the Kurdish people. A lawyer from the Istanbul law firm Asrin, which represents Öcalan and his three fellow prisoners, Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysi Aktaş, will report on the isolation torture on the prison island of Imrali and the resistance to it, said Nora Merino. The final topic at the conference is the internationalization of the struggle and the worldwide spread of the Öcalan paradigm.

Demonstration in Cologne

On 17 February, the activists of the internationalists march to Strasbourg will take part in the large demonstration in Cologne. Nora Merino said: “All people who stand for freedom should take part in the demonstration, regardless of their origin and age. Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom is also our freedom. We have to be persistent. That’s why everyone should come to Cologne on 17 February.”

Internationalist solidarity

The purpose of the demonstration is primarily to advocate for the release of Abdullah Öcalan: “Fighting for this is not just the job of the Kurds. It is a historic responsibility and an international issue. Abdullah Öcalan has presented people with a paradigm through which he proposes solutions to the problems of all peoples. That is why internationalist solidarity is needed. We want to put the issue on the public agenda in various countries.”