Rojava people protest against construction of a wall on the border with Shengal

Many people gathered in the northeastern Syrian cities of Şedadê and Dirbêsiyê to protest the construction of a wall at the border with the Yazidi town of Shengal (Sinjar) in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

Many people responded to the call of the Council of Martyrs’ Families of Hesekê and protested in the northeastern Syrian border town of Şedadê (al-Shaddadi) against the construction of the wall along the border with the Shengal region. The protesters stood up for the autonomy of the Yazidi region and condemned the agreement of the South Kurdistan’s ruling party KDP and the Iraqi government with the AKP/MHP regime to dismantle the autonomous administration and defense forces in the Yazidi town.

"No wall of shame"

Farûq Tozo of the PYD (Democratic Union Party) from the Hesekê Cantonal Council said that the construction of the wall is about cutting off the connection from Shengal to Rojava. He recalled that it was precisely on this line that countless Yazidis from the Shengal region were rescued from ISIS in 2014 and the liberation of the region was advanced with the help of the People's and Women's Defense Units (YPG/YPJ). Regarding this, Tozo said, "Now the Iraqi government and the KDP want to build a wall of shame between the two areas. They are following the agenda of the Turkish state."

People’s assembly in Dirbêsiyê

In Dirbêsiyê, the Council of Martyrs’ Families, together with the PYD, called for a people's assembly on the construction of the wall. Representatives of councils and civil society organizations gathered in the city's stadium to discuss the situation. Zeynep Murad, advisor to the self-government of Hesekê, analyzed the situation against the background of geopolitical developments and condemned the KDP’s collaboration with the AKP/MHP regime. She underlined the importance of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) in the Medya Defense Zones and said, "The guerrilla fighters are the children of the Kurdish people. The guerrillas will never give up resistance. They will not end the resistance until a free Kurdistan is established." Murad called for unity and vigilance against Turkish plans.