Kurdish activists’ vigil in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva continues

The sit-in demonstration in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva, which has been ongoing since January 25, demands an end to the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

A sit-in protest against the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan continues in front of the United Nations (UN) building in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kurdish activists have been protesting every Wednesday since January 15, gathering around the tent of resistance they have set up in front of the UN.

The vigil, which is in its 11th month, is held in a tent set up in front of the UN headquarters as part of the ‘Stop Isolation, Fascism, Occupation, Time to Realize Freedom' campaign.

Every Wednesday, the activists hand out leaflets and brochures concerning the isolation of Öcalan and the significance of his physical freedom. They also inform the visitors about their action.

This week’s action began with a minute’s silence in memory of Kurdish freedom struggle martyrs in the person of revolutionary Anter Dersim (Kazım Ergun) who died of a heart attack in Rojava on November 11, and PKK member Mehmet Doymaz who died of cancer in Luzern, Switzerland on November 28.

 

Speaking during today’s vigil, Co-chair of the Democratic Kurdish Community Center in Geneva, Salih Sağlam, said, “The PKK is the party of martyrs. We have the responsibility to claim the struggle of our martyrs. Leading the “Time for Freedom, Leader Öcalan’s Freedom is our Freedom” campaign which aims for the freedom of Leader Öcalan and Kurdistan to victory, we will realize the aspirations of our martyrs.”

Sağlam continued, “The UN remains silent in the face of the Turkish state’s isolation of the Kurdish leader, genocidal attacks with heavy weapons directed at the Kurdish people and occupation attacks in Kurdistan. We oppose the UN’s partnership in these attacks. We will reclaim the memories of our martyrs and express our demands wherever we are. The guerrilla resistance in Medya Defense Zones will prevail and we will free our Leader and Kurdistan. This is our promise to our martyrs.”