German police attack Kurdish long march, arrest some activists

The German police attacked the long march of the Kurdish youth movement in Bardowick, Lower Saxony. Several activists were forcibly arrested.

For six days the Kurdish youth movement has been demonstrating for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan with a "long march" from Hanover to Hamburg. Kurds and internationalists from several European countries take part in the action. The organizers informed ANF that the young people were stopped in the train on their way from their accommodation in Lüneburg, where they spent the night before, to the starting point of today's stage in Winsen-Luhe at the train station Bardowick.

The police claim that the activists did not buy train tickets and attacked inspectors. The activists, however, denied the claim and said there was no attack on inspectors.

"The German police are trying to stop the demonstration with flimsy pretexts", explained one of the organizers and added; “From the very beginning, an attempt was made to prevent the authorized demonstration. Already at the registration, the police tried to prevent the demonstration. Now everything is being done to prevent us from coming to Hamburg by means of a ticket control".

Previously, an attempt had been made to change the approved route. Although the demonstration for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is taking place, images of the Kurdish leader are prohibited. The activists say: "We have remained calm despite everything. It is the collaborators of the fascist Turkish state who want to attack and stop us.”

According to first information, three or four young people have been arrested by force. Some are said to be injured. Journalists are prevented from taking pictures and filming the events.