The demonstration for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question will begin in Cologne in a few hours.

The first demonstrators arrived at the Deutzer Werft early in the morning. On the way to the opening rally, they chanted slogans and sung. They danced the Kurdish govend  in front of the large stage still in the dark.

Dozens of Kurdish associations and numerous internationalist and democratic organizations have called for the demonstration. Participants in their thousands are expected from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. Around 140 buses have been rented for a joint journey from Germany.

One of the invited speakers is the DEM MP Ömer Öcalan, who was able to visit his uncle Abdullah Öcalan on 23 October in the Turkish island prison Imrali after years of no contact.