In Strasbourg, tens of thousands of people demonstrated for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and against the Turkish military invasion of Afrin.

The demonstration was led by 200 internationalists and a women's bloc. Banners, speeches and slogans denounced the abduction of Abdullah Öcalan to Turkey 19 years ago and called for an immediate stop to the Turkish military invasion of Afrin.

At the closing rally, co-chair of the KCDK-E Fatoş Göksungur held a welcome speech at the stage, decorated with huge images by Abdullah Öcalan, after a minute's silence for all the martyrs of revolution. Göksungur described the attack on Afrin as a continuation of the international conspiracy with which Öcalan was abducted 19 years ago and imprisoned in Turkey.

In a statement on behalf of the Kurdish youth movement Ciwanên Azad, all Kurdish youths were called upon to join the defense of Afrin.

Then the group of internationalists, who had come to Strasbourg from Luxembourg via Lausanne and Geneva, took to the stage. They condemned the Turkish military invasion of Afrin as an "attack on the future of the peoples".

Another speech was made by Dilek Öcalan, a niece of Abdullah Öcalan, who was elected to the Democratic Party of Peoples (HDP) as an Urfa MP in the Turkish National Assembly.

In a video message sent to the demonstration, KCK Executive Council Co-chair Cemil Bayık stated that the Turkish state is targeting Afrin because it presents a democratic life.

Recalling that Circassian, Arab and many other folks are resisting alongside the Kurds against the attacks of invasion in Afrin, Bayık pointed out Afrin’s importance in terms of freedom and democracy movement. He said that with the Kobane, Raqqa and Afrin resistance the Kurdish people have responded to the states involved in the international conspiracy.

Bayık emphasised that the AKP-MHP government became even weaker in this period and are making an effort to hide this situation and pretend to be strong. He said the colonialists try to bring themselves into existence through policies of elimination and genocide against the Kurdish people.

Stressing that the Kurdish people have defied the international conspiracy with their resistance, Bayık said; “Every single person that claims to be socialist and revolutionary should stand against the AKP. Everyone who calls themselves human should stand with the fair struggle of the Kurdish people and people of Afrin in particular.”

Bayık extended his thanks to British Trades Union Congress (TUC) that leads a campaign for Öcalan’s freedom and to the women in South America that work for the freedom of Öcalan and the Kurdish people. He also saluted the popular resistance led by youth and women in four parts of Kurdistan.

Speaking after, PYD Foreign Affairs Spokesman Saleh Moslem condemned the international conspiracy and said: “Öcalan’s children are resisting in Afrin today.”

Moslem referred to the dreams of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan -whom he called a dictator- to defeat the Kurds, and said; “They should know that the Kurds they are confronting will neither get defeated or bend the knee. They said they would enter Afrin in one day but they remain in the same location for 29 days now.”

Calling out to international powers and Europe, Moslem said; “They are talking about democracy but they are all silent on the attack that targets democracy and humanity today. They are not only remaining silent but also being a party to the massacre against our people with the weapons they sell to Turkey.”

Moslem continued; “The Turkish state is trying to establish a terror network by settling the gangs it supports in Afrin. If they succeed in this, the terror network there will constitute a danger to the whole world. We ask why they are silent although they know this truth.”

Stressing that humanity is resisting against barbarity in Afrin, Moslem said they will resist and triumph together with the peoples that defend humanity.

“Both the dictator and everyone else should know that victory will be of the children of Öcalan”, he added.