Women wearing white headscarves attended the May 1 celebrations in Amed where they formed a human chain to draw attention to the political prisoners on hunger strikes. The crowd in the square frequently chant for the resistance in the prisons.
May 1 demonstrations were organized by the Public Workers Unions Confederation (KESK), Revolutionary Workers’ Unions Confederation (DISK), Diyarbakir Chamber of Medicine and TMMOB.
KESK, DISK and TMMOB and the unions under them arrived at the rally held in the Istasyon Square with the motto, “A happy life will bloom” in 3 separate corteges.
HDP, DTK, ESP, TKP and CHP representatives and members arrived at the square alongside the workers’ unions. Amedspor Resistance Fan Group also came to the rally.
The governorate issued a decree to ban the women with white headscarves from the rally. The women were barred from entering the grounds for hours.
After discussions with the police, TMMOB members were able to enter the rally grounds after being stopped by the police for the same reason as the white scarves.
The participants frequently saluted the political prisoners protesting the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan and all other activists, and chanted “Leyla Guven is our honor”, “Biji Yeke Gulane”, “Jin Jiyan Azadi” and “Victory through resistance”.
The mothers barred from issuing press statements for their children on hunger strikes and subjected to police brutality later entered the square with their white headscarves, chanting the traditional zilgit.
The mothers of prisoners stood at the front of the lines and held hands, forming a human chain to draw attention to the hunger strikes. One of the mothers with a white headscarf in the human chain called on the government to end the isolation. The crowd chanted, “Political prisoners are our honor”.
The rally kicked off with a minute’s silence for the people who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
Hasan Hayri Eroglu gave the opening speech in the name of the preparation committee and celebrated May 1 for workers. Eroglu said: “For justice, for the right to life, for labor’s freedom, for our children, for beautiful futures, for all oppressed peoples, today more than ever we need organizing, fighting, solidarity and unity. With this sentiment I salute you all.”
Esra Adem spoke in the name of the women of the preparation committee and saluted the mothers. Adem said: “We are experiencing a historic process. Fascism stands against the peoples in its most barbaric form. We workers will defeat fascism. We defend life against death, peace against war, and freedom against imprisonment.”
