Thousands of people gathered in the cities of Deir ez-Zor and Manbij to support the resistance by the people of Afrin and condemn the invasion of Afrin by Turkey and its mercenary allies on 20 January 2018.

Deir ez-Zor

Thousands of people from the eastern and western countryside of Deir ez-Zor gathered in front of the Siwer Civil Council to protest against the invasion of Afrin carried out by the occupying Turkish state on 20 January 2018.

The people expressed their solidarity with the Afrin people who were forced to flee to Shehba after the invasion by Turkey and its mercenary allies.

The march turned into a rally at the entrance of the town. Riyadh Al-Helef spoke on behalf of the Northern and Eastern Syria Autonomous Administration, Leyla al-Hesen of behalf of the Deir ez-Zor Civil Administration, and Shehrezad al-Casim on behalf of the Deir ez-Zor Women's Council.

All speakers spoke of the 58-days long heroic resistance of the people of Afrin against NATO's second largest army and the mercenary groups and condemned the invasion of Syrian territory by Turkey.

Manbij

In Manbij, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Democratic Civil Administration building in the city center to protest the invasion of Afrin.

The people carried the photographs of the martyrs in Afrin.

Nezife Xelo, co-chair of Manbij Democratic Civil Administration Executive Council, spoke at the rally. “20 January - said Xelo - was the beginning of the Afrin resistance. Erdogan thought he could break the will of the people, but he was met with the resistance of the people.”

Ebdulsetar Shikaki of the Northern and Eastern Syria Autonomous Administration condemned the attacks and threats of the Turkish state and welcomed the second phase of the Epochal Resistance.

Manbij Women's Council executive, Ibtisam  Ebdulqader also condemned war crimes carried out by Turkey in Afrin.

The occupation, she said, is a black mark in the history of mankind.

Manbij Military Council spokesperson Shervan Derwiş said that the invaders were targeting not only Afrin but the whole country.

“The resistance continues. The country will chose according to the demands of the people, not according to the politics of the invaders. The solution of the Syrian crisis is not possible with the occupiers. This is true for all Syrian territories. We promise to liberate the entire Syrian territory from terrorism and protect the people.”