Activists at Féte de L'Humanite demand removal of PKK from EU list of terrorist organisations

Hundreds of signatures were collected at the Féte de L'Humanite Bretagne as part of the ‘PKK is the people, the people cannot be banned’ campaign.

Féte de L'Humanite Bretagne (Bretagne Humanity Festival), traditionally organized by the French Communist Party (PCF), started in Lorient on Saturday.

The festival this year was held indoors in Lanester and many trade unions and associations in the Bretagne region opened their stands there.

Kurds living in the city of Lorient also attended the festival and gathered hundreds of signatures as part of the ‘PKK is the people, the people cannot be banned’ campaign.

Visiting the stand, Morbihan French Communist Party representatives, Morbihan Workers' Unions representatives, local politicians and some representatives of associations said that they are always in solidarity with the Kurdish people and added that it is a shame for the European Union countries that the PKK is still on the list of terrorist organisations.

Kurdish activists said: “We must not forget that the Kurdish people paid a great price while fighting against the barbarism of ISIS and the Turkish state,” also drew attention to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan and demanded his freedom.

The immigration policies of EU countries were criticized at panels held at the weekend. The 30 refugees, mostly Kurds, who drowned while trying to cross the English Channel, as well as the situation of thousands of refugees on the border of Poland and Belarus were highlighted by many speakers.

The Féte de L'Humanite ended on Sunday evening with the speeches of the leaders of the French Communist Party (PCF).