Grief to anger! Anger to resistance!
A man shot at several people in front of the Kurdish cultural centre in Paris at noon today. Three of these people have already been murdered by his shots. Others are seriously injured.
This is not the first time that Kurds have been subjected to massive violence in Europe.
At the time of today’s attack, a meeting of the preparatory committee for the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the murder of Sara, Rojbîn and Ronahî was taking place at the centre. Almost 10 years ago, on 9 January 2013, the three Kurdish revolutionaries Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez were killed in the rooms of the Kurdistan Information Office in Paris by the Turkish secret service. Three women who resolutely resisted all forms of oppression and fought with all their courage and consistency for the freedom of all. They stood against patriarchal power structures and organised themselves against their oppression. One of many femicides of political women organising and fighting for a liberated life.
And now, almost ten years later, a repetition of this act is taking place: Kurds have again been targeted for murder in Paris. Our grief and anger are immeasurable.
But Paris is not the only place where this threat is so active.
Only yesterday in Nuremberg (a city in southern Germany), the Kurdish cultural centre and private flats were searched by German authorities. In the course of this, the Kurdish activist Tahir Köçer was also arrested. Köçer was co-chair of the German-based Kurdish umbrella organisation KON-MED until 2021, under which the Kurdish community self-organises on the basis of grassroots democracy and gender liberation.
At the same time, Kurdish opposition activists are persecuted and arrested in Turkey again and again, as recently as today. Today, raids were carried out in nine cities against the premises of the DBP, Democratic Regions Party, and 14 politicians were arrested. In detention, they face inhuman prison conditions and torture.
All this is part of a broad war against the Kurds and especially the Kurdish freedom movement. This year, this war has taken on a new level of escalation in many places. This can be seen in the repeated use of chemical weapons in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) and today’s attack in Paris. The Kurdish freedom movement has been fighting for the freedom of the Kurdish people, for a free and self-determined life for all and above all for the liberation of women for more than 40 years. But for this, it is being criminalised and attacked worldwide.
We demand an investigation of the murders in Paris on 9 January 2013 and today!
We demand the decriminalisation of the Kurdish freedom movement!
As long as not all people and genders can lead a free and self-determined life, we will continue to struggle – in memory of those murdered in Paris!
Down with patriarchy and down with fascism!
Berxwedan Jiyanê!
Sara, Rojbîn, Ronahî – Jin Jiyan Azadî!
