Thousands of people from all around the country and the world gathered in front of the cemevi (Alevi place of worship) in the Alibaba neighborhood of Sivas this morning for the 25th anniversary of the Sivas Massacre.

The crowd held a march to the Madımak Hotel where 33 people were burned alive. Families of the massacred, MPs from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi - HDP) and the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi - CHP), NGOs and several political parties participated in the march.

“THE ONES WHO BURNED ARE THE ONES WHO FOUNDED THE AKP”

The crowd carried photographs of the Sivas martyrs and the traditional musical instrument baglama in the march and chanted “Rights, Law, Justice”, “The murdering state will answer” and “The ones who burned in Sivas are the ones who founded the AKP”. Announcements were made throughout the march with messages of unity, and referring to the resistance of Kawa the Blacksmith.Thousands of people carried signs that read, “Salute those who stood against the fire”, “We won’t be the State’s Alevis”, “Turn Madımak into a Museum of Shame” and “Justice will come at the hands of the people”. A large banner that read “For Dersim, for Maraş, for Çorum, for Sivas” was placed in the square. Alevi songs were played throughout the march.

POLICE OBSTACLE

By the end of the march, thousands of people gathered in front of the former Madımak Hotel, since turned into a Provincial Special Administration Scientific and Cultural Center. Police units barricaded the building and only allowed representatives from political parties and families of the deceased to get close to the building. The families continued with their decision to not enter the building until the hotel is turned into a Museum of Shame. Party representatives left carnations on the grounds where the massacre took place.