70 internationalist activists from 17 countries and representatives of 15 Kurdish institutions in Europe who started a march from Luxembourg with the motto 'Freedom for Öcalan, status for Kurdistan' on February 1 have reached Strasbourg.
70 internationalist activists from 17 countries and representatives of 15 Kurdish institutions in Europe who started a march from Luxembourg with the motto 'Freedom for Öcalan, status for Kurdistan' on February 1 have reached Strasbourg.
After covering 25 kilometers in today's stage of the march, the demonstrators have reached Strasbourg at around 15:40 today afternoon. The marchers arrived in the town where the Democratic Kurdish Society Center is located, and they were welcomed here by dozens of Kurds and supporters from France. The demonstrators will continue today's program with an event at the Centre Social et Culturel d’Elsau.
After starting the march from Luxembourg on February 1, the participants reached and spent the night in Thionville on the second day, and then in the towns of Talange, Landremont, Saint Avold, Loupershouse, Sarre-Union, Phalsbourg and Wasselonne respectively. They have resumed their march from Wasselonne this morning and walked 27 kilometers. They have covered a total of 265 kilometers since the beginning of their action, and have handed out thousands of leaflets throughout the course of their march in dozens of settlements they have passed through since.
The participants have faced and frustrated provocations and attacks organised by Turkish fascist associations in some towns including Sarralbe, Sarre-Union, Saverne and Wasselonne. While French security forces were seen failing to take strong measures in some areas where attacks were carried out, the demonstrators were adequately protected in the hall where they stayed in the town yesterday evening after the attack of the Turkish mob.
During the course of the march, the participants were accompanied by Kurdish people from Lorraine, Alsace and various towns of Germany for one day.
Nearly 70 revolutionaries from Argentina, Spain, Basque Country, Catalonia, England, France, Germany and Switzerland have participated in the Long March that began in Luxembourg on February 1.
The participants of the march will join the mass march and rally to be held in Strasbourg tomorrow with the participation of tens of thousands in protest at the 15 February 1999 international conspiracy against Öcalan on its 18th anniversary.
The Long March is the first of its kind as it was largely attended by internationalist activists supporting the Kurdish people and their struggle for freedom.
