International Action Days by Riseup4Rojava in September

International Action Days of the Riseup4Rojava campaign on September 6th and 7th, 2019 under the motto "Block. Occupy. Disturb".

Since the beginning of July, the Riseup4Rojava campaign has been mobilizing for international action days on September 6th and 7th. Under the motto "Block. Occupy. Disturb " it has called for a variety of actions against defense companies, financial institutions and other war profiteers, which support the fascist Turkish state in its occupation plans in Kurdistan through delivery of arms or investments.

Riseup4Rojava confidently announces: "We will occupy, disturb and block the places of military, diplomatic and economic cooperation with Turkish fascism in our countries!"

The campaign also refers to the German internationalist Andrea Wolf. The guerilla fighter Andrea Wolf, who fell in the fight against the Turkish army in 1998, stated in a letter written in the mountains of Kurdistan on May 1, 1997:

“I wish there were movements in the metropolises that would attack this war, make it impossible. Just cut the supply.”

In a quote from the call to the action days it states:

“[…] Since then 22 years have passed. 22 years in which countless people in Kurdistan and Turkey were bombed and executed by weapons from the Nato and the Western nation states. 22 years in which companies such as Rheinmetall, Lockhead Martin, Leonardo or SAAB and banks such as Credit Suisse and the German bank have made billions with the death, misery and annihilation of people. 22 years in which the Turkish army continues to fire, and NATO and the Western nation states supply the ammunition. “

The call states further:

“Because the war in Kurdistan does not begin somewhere but on our doorstep. It begins in the ammunition factories and armories, at the desks of banks and political parties, and at the conferences and meetings of hypocritical governments and NATO. “

The broad scope of the planned protests and mutual referrals across national borders is shown in the diverse preparations for the days of action and reflects the international character of the Riseup4Rojava campaign.

Affiliate organizations of the riseup4rojava campaign are planning the following protests:

Great Britain - Resistance against the DSEI weapons fair

"If we mobilize against DSEI, Anna will be in our hearts."

In London, Plan C and the Kurdistan Solidarity Network will mobilize against the DSEI Arms Fair as part of the #stopDSEI platform. Every two years, DSEI transforms London into a one-stop-shop for capital and global acts of violence and regularly facilitates the sale of illegal weapons under international treaties. Anna Campbell (Ş.Hêlîn Qereçox) was part of # stopDSEI mobilization in 2015. While Turkish officials negotiated contracts for the F-16s during the fair, Anna and her comrades were murdered on March 15, 2018, in the last days of the fascist and imperialist invasion of Afrin.

On Friday, September 6th, the #StopDSEI Climate Day will feature workshops on social ecology and the eco-socialist paradigm of the Kurdish freedom movement. On Saturday, September 7th, a militant demonstration will express deep solidarity with the women's revolution of Rojava. "As internationalists, we will stand in solidarity with the communities gathering to defend themselves against the DSEI weapons fair. We will protest with Palestinians against the presence of the Israeli defense industry at the fair and against the continued approval of arms exports to Israel. And next to Bahrainis and Yemenis fighting to end British arms exports to Saudi Arabia" stated the organizers.

Sweden: Protests against SAAB, SCANIA & SSAB

In Sweden, Rojava Committees Sweden and Allt Åt Alla mobilizes for picket lines that take place simultaneously in several cities. These are set up outside the factories and business centers of the three main Swedish military exporters to Turkey, SAAB, SCANIA and SSAB.

The goal is to be in as many places as possible in as many cities as possible in order to educate employees and customers about the support of the company management for Erdogan and his jihadist gangs and to strengthen the resistance against it.

Catalonia: War on the war!

In Catalonia, the "Comitee de Resistencia Internacionalista", an association of major Catalan organizations such as the trade unions CNT and CGT, the Arran Youth Movement and the Kurdistan solidarity structure Plataforma Azadi, calls for resistance on the streets against companies of the Spanish military industrial complex, which export aircraft, warships and radar systems and missiles to the fascist AKP-MHP regime.

There will also be a public event and discussion forum with representatives of various oppressed peoples from around the world fighting against colonialism and imperialist war.

Switzerland: No quiet backdrop for the war

The Swiss resistance network fight4rojava and the Revolutionäre Aufbau Schweiz stated: "The political goal and the basis of all campaigns, whether Day X, action days or future campaigns, is to focus on the forces in their own countries which are responsible for the war in the Near East, in Rojava and in the mountains. "

During the upcoming days of action, the Swiss organizations will follow the appeal to erect blockades in front of military locations on September 6th. Different places are possible target destinations. On Saturday, September 7th, a national demonstration will take place in Basel at 3 pm where all the forces - the revolutionary Swiss movement, the Turkish and Kurdish movements - come together and take to the streets.

Germany: Disarm Rheinmetall!

From September 1st to 9th, a major camp will be held in Germany against militarism and in particular against the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, which is organized by a wide range of revolutionary groups, left-wing organizations, trade unions and civil society. Organizations of the Riseup4Rojava campaign such as the feminist campaign “Gemeinsam Kämpfen!”, Radical Left Berlin, the Interventionist Left and Tatort Kurdistan are also involved in the preparations.

On September 6th, the Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, will be blocked and on September 7th, a large demonstration will be held in Unterlüß. In addition, there will be a variety of workshops about to the fight against imperialist warfare and the revolution in Kurdistan.

In Munich, too, protests against the German-Turkish brotherhood-in-arms will take place on Saturday, September 7th, as part of the campaign days. The target of the protest is the large Mercedes branch in Munich. Mercedes supplies the Erdoğan regime with military vehicles. Mercedes vehicles are used in war against the local population in Turkey, Kurdistan and Syria.

Greece: Turkish fascism is a threat to the entire region!

Activists in Greece are mobilizing for demonstrations and other events as part of the #Riseup4Rojava campaign and international action days on September 6th and 7th in four major cities, Athens, Heraklion, Rethimnon and Komotini.

On the one hand, the actions are intended to be an expression of solidarity with the peoples of north-east Syria and, on the other hand, to draw attention to Turkish fascism, whose chauvinism poses a threat to the entire region.

Italy: From NO-TAV to Rojava - unite the struggles!

In Italy, the worldwide campaign riseup4rojava was presented in the "Val de Susa" as part of the large protest camp NO-TAV. NO TAV is a major Italian protest movement that emerged in the early 1990s against the construction of high-performance and high-speed trains (TAV). NO TAV is one of the largest European battles against environmental destruction and capitalist exploitation logic. In the Val de Susa, the local struggle has been linked to worldwide movements for years.

Collectives from various Italian cities participated at an event for riseup4rojava in the protest camp, and it was decided together to join the call for the international action days on 6th and 7th September. There was also agreement in the discussion to include the commemoration of the partisan Lorenzo Orsetti in the actions, who had fallen in Rojava.

Since then, preparations are being made in various Italian cities for the purpose of uncovering and disrupting the cooperation of the Italian state and Italian companies with the Turkish government, such as Leonardo and the Unicredit bank.

Leonardo produces the attack helicopter T-129 ATAK. The helicopters were used during the invasion of Afrin.

Worldwide: Small and larger campaigns in other countries

In France, groups in Paris and Lyon are organizing for some actions around the campaign in September. Posters and banners will also be present at the anti-G7 mobilization in the Basque Country.

In Brazil, activists mobilized with posters in the major cities of Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. They are preparing a demonstration on September 6th.

In Quebec, Canada, activist groups join the call for action against the local military industry on September 6th.

Participate!

The campaign calls for worldwide participation in the action days and to prepare creative actions. People who cannot come to the scheduled protests are requested by the organizers of the Day of Action to act autonomously in their own countries, cities and communities, whether there are big or small actions. As Lorenzo 'Orso' Orsetti (Ş. Tekoşer Piling), Italian internationalist, who fell in the last major battles against the IS, said:

"Every storm starts with a single drop. Try to be that drop."