SDF commemorates internationalist fighter Olivier François Jean Le Clainche (Kendal Breizh), who fell as a martyr on 10 February 2018, during the resistance against the invasion attacks launched by the Turkish state in Afrin.
Olivier François Jean Le Clainche, a native of Morbihan, France, was born in Malestroy in 1977. Renowned for his passion and professionalism as a journalist, he dedicated his career to amplifying marginalized voices and advocating for social justice and environmental causes. Despite not having Breton ancestry, Le Clainche deeply admired his Celtic heritage. His voice resonated through the airwaves of Radio Pro Gwyned, a Breton radio station committed to social justice and cultural preservation. However, a burning desire for a world free from injustice led him to exchange his microphone for a rifle.
During the height of the war against ISIS terrorism in Syria, Le Clainche traveled to northeastern Syria to join the fight for liberation. He saw in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a reflection of his ideals of a society based on democracy, equality, coexistence, and women’s freedom.
In July 2017, he joined the SDF under the nom de guerre Kendal Breizh. Le Clainche proved his bravery on the battlefield, participating in the liberation of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor from ISIS terrorism. When the Turkish invasion of Afrin began, he was among the first to defend the city against the Turkish army and its mercenaries. On February 10, 2018, just days after arriving in Afrin, he was martyred during a brutal Turkish airstrike on the city.
