While the long march from Cizre to Amed demanding the freedom of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan continues, Newroz rallies are taking place in many centres in North Kurdistan with mass participation.

Following the massive rally in Suruç yesterday, today Newroz rallies are taking place in Kızıltepe, Mardin, Hakkari and Özalp, with mass participation and continuing with great popular enthusiasm and the raising of slogans for the freedom of the Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Kızıltepe, Mardin

The rally in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin started with the participation of thousands gathering early this morning in the rally field after the Newroz fire was lit in many neighbourhoods of the town. The demonstrators in Kızıltepe are celebrating this year’s Newroz under the slogan: “Enough is enough! Freedom for Öcalan”.

The crowd entered the rally field after passing three check points set up by the police. While the women dressed themselves in colourful traditional clothes, the youth wore bandannas bearing the words: “Newroz piroz be” and “Leader Apo”. Posters of Öcalan and flags of YPG/YPJ, PKK and flags in red, green and yellow have been hung all around the rally field.

Many police are deployed around the field as well as armoured vehicles.

The demonstrators are frequently chanting slogans to protest the internal security bill that the AKP government is trying to enact in parliament, as well as slogans supporting the YPG and the YPJ.

The Newroz celebration in Kızıltepe is continuing with speeches, following a minute’s silence held in commemoration of all those who have fallen in the struggle for liberation.

Hakkari

Another massive Newroz celebration is taking place today in Hakkari attended by tens of thousands of people under the slogan: “Enough is Enough, Freedom for Öcalan”. The crowd held marches in the streets of Hakkari in colourful clothes and singing songs in a festive atmosphere before gathering in the rally field, closing the streets and dancing.
Although the rally has already started in Hakkari, participation continues to increase as people flock to the rally field chanting slogans such as: “Long Live the Kobane resistance” and “Long Live Leader Apo”. People from many towns and villages of Hakkari also came to the city starting from the early hours to join the rally.

The rally is continuing with speeches, stressing that this year’s Newroz is celebrated under the theme of freedom, primarily the demand for the freedom of the Kurdish Leader Öcalan.

HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is also deputy from Hakkari, is expected in the rally field to make a speech. He has reportedly departed from Van to reach Hakkari.

Özalp, Van

Another celebration has taken place today in the Özalp district of Van, with the participation of thousands of people gathering at Station Square. The celebration in Özalp witnessed high spirits and enthusiasm and was attended by executives of the HDP and DBP local branches making strong speeches stressing the freedom demands of the Kurdish people, and the historic resistance of the Kurdish forces in Sinjar and Rojava.

The rally in Özalp ended with musical performances of singers from the Mesopotamia Culture Centre and Students Choir of the Municipality Education Support Centre and people performing the Kurdish traditional folk dance, the halay.‏