Despite the obstacles of the police, thousands came gathered at Kartal Square in Istanbul to join the Newroz celebration which began with the presentation of a video footage of HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş's “We will not let you become president” speech he had made in 2015. People are often chanting the slogans “President Selahattin is our honor” and “Figen Yüksekdağ is our honor.”

The 13 HDP parliamentarians, DBP Co-mayors, and elected officials from the HDP and DBP who are in prison, and the people that lost their lives during last year's self-governance resistance were saluted during the celebration.

Posters of prominent Turkish revolutionary Deniz Gezmiş with the writing “Now is the time for revolution” and “Newroz piroz be, Refuse, resist, and say No!” banners as well as signs of groups such as SGDF, ESP, SODAP, Alınteri, DAD, AKA-DER, DÖB, EMEK youth, EMEK, HDP, HDK, ÖGK, Kaldıraç, SYKP and Özgür Lise decorate the celebration area. Many academics dismissed with emergency decrees also join the celebration.

HDP CO-CHAIRS' MESSAGE READ OUT

The celebration began with a moment of silence to commemorate all those martyred in the freedom and democracy struggle, followed by the “Çerxa Şoreşê” Kurdish anthem sang by thousands in the area. Thousands of people chanted the “Çerxa Şoreşê” anthem during the commemoration.

Later, a child from Kobanê called Muhammed got on the platform and read a poem saluting Öcalan and saying “Bijî Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Apo]. People chanted “Şehid namirin” [Martyrs are immortal] as Peace Mothers took to the stage to make speeches.

HDP Istanbul Co-president Esengül Demir read the message HDP Co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş sent from prison to mark Newroz. Photos of the arrested parliamentarians were displayed and people chanted “We will prevail through resistance” as Demir read the Co-chairs' messages.

Afterwards, peace mothers and HDP parliamentarians lit the Newroz fire as people chanted “Kurdistan will be grave to fascism”

“WE WILL DEFINITELY WIN, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO”

HDP Istanbul Co-chair Mustafa Avcı addressed the crowd and described Newroz as the resistance of the oppressed, saying; “They do not let any path other than war to be opened. They deepen the war every day. They destroy towns, districts and villages, force millions to migrate, and ignore people's will in order to increase their own lifespan. They arrest thousands of our members and deepen the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. They make dirty negotiations to boost the hostility towards the Kurdish people. They are doing everything they can so that Kurds do not have a status in the Middle East. We do not want war and we say 'Enough'. We will prevail no matter what they do.”

“WE WILL SAY 'NO' TO DEHAKS”

HDP Executive Committee member Sevtap Akdağ also addressed the crowd and said “Newroz is a day of resistance the Kurdish people gifted to the peoples of the Middle East. Today, the resistance grows and we will continue this resistance. Thousands of our youth are sent to death, our towns are destroyed, we are bombed and opposition groups are silenced. Still, they will not be able to intimidate us. As the oppressed, peoples, workers and laborers, we will unite against all pressures and we will definitely win. Labor will prevail, peace will prevail, equality and freedom will prevail. The resistance spirit of revolutionary Kawa will prevail. We will say 'NO' to cruel Dehaks that eat the brains of our children.”