On 12 March 2004, an uprising broke out in Qamishlo, which quickly spread to all of Rojava. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria says this uprising opened the way to the Rojava revolution.
32 Kurds were killed in clashes organized by the Syrian Baath regime after a football match in Qamishlo. After this massacre, an uprising broke out that swept all of Rojava and even spread to Aleppo and Damascus.

The "Serhildan of Qamishlo" is considered the first mass uprising in Rojava and came at a time when Saddam Hussein was toppled in Iraq and joint cabinet meetings of Turkey and Syria were taking place.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria describes the uprising as the "seed for the Rojava revolution". In a statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the uprising, the Autonomous Administration states that the chauvinist state mentality of the government in Damascus was behind the massacre.

"Then as now, the regime is trying to stir up hostility and exclusion between the population groups in Syria. The government is based on the idea of ​​a one-sided system against democracy. Because division is one of their fundamental characteristics, in order to maintain their own power, unity of the peoples should be prevented. This stance has led to the emergence of ISIS, the Al-Nusra Front and other Turkish state-sponsored groups as an obstacle to a solution in Syria."

The statement added that "the revolution in North and East Syria and self-government are based on a democratic system that unites all peoples. The revolution created a social unit that represents the hope of all population groups in the region. The project of a democratic nation is the best answer to the 2004 massacre and all further attempts to break the will of the people.
The Autonomous Administration model does not have to be limited to northern and eastern Syria. It is a model that can be implemented anywhere. As such, it represents a historically significant step in revealing the true relations between peoples against the attempts at division by the centralist and nationalist states. Based on the fraternity of peoples, their diversity and building a political-ethical society, it can revive the shattered hopes in society."

The statement continued: "We are committed to democratic autonomy in north-eastern Syria so that peace and stability can return throughout Syria. Our insistence on a democratic solution and dialogue, as well as our consistent fight against terrorism, are designed to strengthen Syria against any form of attack, to protect the country as a whole and to bring about unity among the peoples.

On this basis, we call on the Syrian government and the democratic public to work for democratic change.
We commemorate the fallen of the Qamishlo Uprising. The Serhildan of 12 March, 2004 was the seed for our revolution of 19 July 2012. We promise to the fallen and to the people of Northeast Syria that we will continue on this path and remain committed to protecting the region from terror to defeat and liberate Afrin and all other areas occupied by the Turkish state and its gangs."