More than 25,000 people gathered in Düsseldorf on Saturday to protest against the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state in Kurdistan. The demonstration under the slogan "Stop Chemical Warfare in Kurdistan! #YourSilenceKills" was promoted by the Kurdish umbrella organisation KON-MED. People travelled from all over Germany to demand an end to war crimes in Kurdistan and to remind the international community of its duties.

From 10 a.m. onwards, the participants gathered at two different starting points of the demonstration. After about two hours, both marches set off from the DGB building and the Rhine meadows. Many protesters wore white protective suits as a symbol of the chemical attacks. At first, they were allowed to wear the gas masks they had brought with them. Later, they had to be pulled under the chin on the instructions of the police.

"AN END TO GERMAN SUPPORT FOR TURKEY”

During the peaceful demonstration, the participants repeatedly criticised the silence of the international community regarding war crimes and the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state in Kurdistan. Many demonstrators carried pictures of Kurdish guerrilla fighters who were killed by Turkish chemical weapons. With creatively designed banners bearing slogans such as "The attack on Kurdistan is an attack on all of us and our values", "Stop German support for Turkey" and "The Turkish state is murdering Kurds with chemical weapons - Your silence kills!", as well as an installation with three monkeys that see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing, and the flags of the EU, NATO and the USA, they gave force to their messages.

KON-MED: GERMANY IS COMPLICIT

"Thousands of people from all over Germany came together in Düsseldorf today. The Kurdish population, but also very many people in solidarity, have expressed a clear position. They demand an immediate end to the use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan! This is a continuing war crime, and we will not remain silent about this crime," said Engin Sever, co-chair of KON-MED.

The other co-chair, Zübeyde Zümrüt, drew attention to the co-responsibility of the German government in Turkish war crimes and criticised the inaction of Berlin: "The German government recently declared that it sees no reason for an international investigation into the Turkish use of chemical weapons. This is scandalous from our point of view. Turkey is an important ally of Germany. The German government supports the regime in Ankara politically, financially, but also militarily. If the German government remains inactive in the face of these crimes in Kurdistan, we believe it is partly responsible.”

GISELA PENTEKER CONDEMNS USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

At the closing rally, speeches were also held, interspersed with musical contributions and dances. Among others, the Turkish representative of the medical peace organisation IPPNW and general practitioner Gisela Penteker took the stage and spoke about the use of Turkish chemical weapons in Kurdistan. In September, when reports of chemical weapons attacks were pouring in, IPPNW undertook a delegation trip to Southern Kurdistan to investigate the allegations, view visual material and take and assess samples. In October, a report was published which confirmed the accusations of Kurdish organisations in parts and considered an immediate independent international investigation to be necessary.

FIGHT TOGETHER!

Penteker also addressed the criminalisation of Kurds in Germany, saying, "In your everyday life, you are valuable members of our society, nobody denies that. Many of you are now in the second and third generation here. But if they express themselves as Kurds, then they immediately have their stamp and stigma again. And if we don't manage to overcome that and fight together against fascism, against poison gas, against all the things that burden us, then we won't achieve anything." Penteker went on to express admiration for the new social order in Kurdistan, which she was also able to experience for herself in Turkey and Syria. "It is the struggle of all of us to make these ideas and justice a reality!"