The long march Kurdistanis in Southern France launched with the slogans “Freedom for Öcalan, Status for Kurdistan” and “End Afrin Invasion” from the Martigues district continues on its second day. Kurdistanis had reached the Marignane town yesterday, and in the morning they set out for St. Antoine, a district of Marseille 15 km away. Women at the forefront of the march carry a large poster of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, while the youth march with YPG/YPJ flags.

Abdillah, a young man from Kobanê who joined the march from Lyon, said “Kobanê resisted and achieved freedom. Now it’s Afrin’s turn. We must all resist for Afrin,” and called on everybody to support Afrin.

FASCIST ATTACK PUSHED BACK

After 6 hours of marching, the protesters chanted “Terrorist Erdoğan” as they entered St. Antoine, when a group of fascists attempted to first provoke the crowd with Turkish flags, and then attacked the growd with knives. Kurdistanis stopped the attackers but one young man was wounded on his foot. Several people from the fascist group were also wounded. The incident continued in the hospital where a group of racists attempted to attack the young man who was hospitalized. The fascist group ran away when the Kurdish youth retaliated.

MARCH TO CONTINUE TOMORROW MORNING

The long march will restart from St. Antoine tomorrow morning. Hundreds of Kurdistanis will greet the marchers in Joliette and march to the Vieux-Port Square where a rally will be held. The rally will mark the end of the long march.