International Workers' Day is being celebrated in the main Kurdish city Amed with great enthusiasm at the İstasyon (5 June) Square.

Thousands have flocked to the rally area as of early morning hours chanting slogans for peace and freedom. “Bijî berxwedana Kurdîstanê” [Long Live the Kurdistan resistance” and ‘Bijî 1 Gulan” [Long Live May 1] slogans echo in the rally area amid heavy police presence.

The May Day rally began with one minute's silence for all those killed in the massacres of Suruç, Ankara and Amed, and continued with speeches of DBP (Party of Democratic Regions) Co-chair Kamuran Yüksek and HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel.

DBP co-chair Kamuran Yüksek called attention to the system of exploitation and oppression that workers are suffering from, adding; “We are being through a process when the Middle East and world order is changing. I believe the Kurdish people will be taking to the state during the coming century and the model built in Rojava today will serve as the resolution of the labor issue and the Kurdish question. We do also defend democratic autonomy, a system which is similar to the Rojava model. We have two reasons as to why we demand democratic autonomy; preservation of the state's unitary structure and protection of the peoples and the proletariat. This model should therefore be supported by all the workers and laborers.”

Speaking after, HDP Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel stressed that they as HDP would continue waging a struggle and resistance against the dominant powers in factories, streets, workplaces and every area of life.