Solidarity With Rojava
On October 6, the Trump administration announced it was pulling US troops out of northern Syria, essentially giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a green light to invade Rojava, carry out ethnic cleansing, and forcibly resettle the area. We are calling for people around the world to engage in protest and/or disruption at Turkish consulates, US government offices, arms manufacturers, and businesses connected with the Turkish government, such as Turkish Airlines.
Since 2012, the autonomous region of Rojava has hosted an inspiring multi-ethnic experiment in self-determination involving a network of councils, communes, and cooperatives, all while fighting the Islamic State (ISIS). After years of struggle, despite sustaining massive casualties, fighters from Rojava participated in liberating all of the territory that ISIS had occupied and freeing those who had been held captive in ISIS strongholds.
In an attempt to justify permitting Turkey to invade Syria, Trump has tweeted that US taxpayers should not have to pay to keep ISIS fighters detained. In fact, the US has not paid a cent to detain captured ISIS fighters; that has been completely organized by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The reality is that the Turkish invasion of Kurdish territory will create the conditions for ISIS to reemerge and resume operations in Syria and around the world. For years, Turkey has permitted weapons, recruits, and resources to reach ISIS through its borders.
For years, anarchists, socialists + antifascists have given their lives in the fight against ISIS + in support of the autonomous confederation of Rojava in so-called Northern Syria. Praised by US politicians + pundits as heroes against ISIS, yet demonized at home as "terrorists." pic.twitter.com/TwjZuQxF5b
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 8, 2019
Both ISIS and the Turkish invasion pose an existential threat to all the ethnic and religious groups indigenous to the region, including Arabs, Christians (Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs), Turkmens, Chechens, Alevites, and Yazidis. Many of these groups have gained a voice in their own lives for the first time, yet now face massacre at the hands of the Turkish military and the jihadists.
Turkey’s invasion of Rojava sets a new precedent for military aggression, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of egalitarian and feminist experiments like the one in Rojava. It sets the stage for more bloodshed and oppression everywhere around the world, paving the way for ethno-nationalist autocrats like Trump, Erdoğan, Bashar al-Assad, Jair Bolsonaro, and Vladimir Putin to dominate world politics for generations to come.
For months, people in Rojava have called for international solidarity in the event of an invasion. We must bring attention to the plight of the people in Rojava and make it known that there will be consequences for this.
Poster commemorating #YPG martyr from Denver, CO Jordan MacTaggart and urging immediate solidarity for #Rojava, going up around the city as soon as they're off the presses. #KurdsBetrayedByTrump will not be betrayed by freedom-loving people across the world! pic.twitter.com/ivOhO8SXc3
— Rojava Solidarity Colorado (@RojavaSoliCO) October 9, 2019
To keep silent is to be complicit.
We call on all people of good conscience to organize themselves, protest, and mobilize at Turkish consulates, US government offices, arms manufacturers, and businesses connected with the Turkish government, such as Turkish Airlines. The Rojava Solidarity Committee Europe has joined organizers in Rojava in calling for a day of action on October 12th, against the Turkish invasion; we endorse this call, and call for further actions before and after October 12th.
We need to build a context for broad-based direct action as a step towards building a global movement that can make such atrocities impossible. Together, we can stop the invasion.
See you in the streets.
Upcoming Events & Actions in Solidarity
Friday, November 1st:
- London, ON, 3:30PM. More info here.
Saturday, November 2nd:
- Oakland, CA, 2PM. More info here.
- Knoxville, TV, 11:30PM. More info here.
- Portland, OR, 2PM. More info here.
- New York, NY, 2PM. More info here.
- Los Angeles, CA, 10AM. More info here.
- Anaheim, CA. 4PM. More info here.
Sunday, November 10th:
- San Francisco, CA, 5:30PM. More info here.
Bellevue, Nebraska,
November 2nd show up for Rojava! Tell everyone you know!!!
Please RT and feel free to print!!! pic.twitter.com/tAPM5VbamG— Riseup4RojavaNE (@NeRiseup4) October 22, 2019
Thursday, November, 7th:
- Sacramento, CA. Debbie Bookchin talk. More info here.
Saturday, November, 9th:
- Oakland, CA, 6PM. Debbie Bookchin talk. More info here.
Timeline of Solidarity Actions
Monday, October 7th:
- Toronto, ON, Canada: Solidarity protest outside of the US consulate.
- Anarchist solidarity banners in Appalachia.
Tuesday, October 8th:
- Solidarity banners dropped in Lincoln, Nebraska. Report and photos here.
- Washington, DC: Rally held outside of White House by Kurdish groups and antifascists in solidarity with Rojava and against Turkish aggression.
- Ottawa, ON: Protest outside of US embassy.
Wednesday, October 9th:
- Boston, MA: Rally outside of capitol in solidarity with Rojava.
- Protest outside of White House in Washington DC.
- Protest and rally in Toronto, ON. Video here.
- Rally in solidarity with Rojava outside of US embassy in Vancouver, BC.
We say” #Rojava not alone” it is part of our rally in front of the USA consulate in Vancouver. Long life for YPG and YPJ. We are going another one against Turkish fascist state on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/A5Dz4glUz4
— Diary Khalid Marif (@diary_khalid) October 9, 2019
Thursday, October 10th:
- Rally and protest in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Long Live YPJ" in Atlanta, GA#bijirojava #BijiKurdistan #RiseUpForRojava #riseup4rojava #kurdistan #rojava #ErdoganGenocideofKurds #Erdogan pic.twitter.com/w0aBCJYWH7
— Acid Communist League (@MarvinBaron6) October 10, 2019
- Protests in Toronto take to the streets.
#Kurds in Toronto take to the streets to protest Turkey's invasion of #Rojava, Syria's #Kurdistan. pic.twitter.com/uTsjrC9Hve
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) October 10, 2019
- Rally in solidarity with Rojava in Montreal.
from #Rojava demo in #Montreal now#RiseUp4Rojava#DefendRojava#SaveRojava pic.twitter.com/QWDfMnBaLb
— Fouâd Oveisy (@consul_general) October 10, 2019
Friday, October 11th:
- Solidarity demonstrations take place in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.
- Solidarity demonstration in San Diego.
#RiseUpRojava in San Diego pic.twitter.com/VTgH7bFaKS
— mmm… food (@MF_Bleu) October 12, 2019
- Rally in solidarity with Rojava in Nashville, Tennessee.
Friday’s demonstration by the Kurdish community in #Nashville, Tennessee, against the Turkish military operation on #Rojava (northern #Syria).#SaveTheKurds pic.twitter.com/k7aeQDeOGw
— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) October 12, 2019
Saturday, October 12th:
- Massive day of #RiseUp4Rojava actions around the world. Over 15 cities across North America organized a variety of actions from banner drops, to graffiti, to rallies in solidarity, to full on blockades of airports. See our full roundup here.
We're rounding up #RiseUp4Rojava solidarity actions today across the US, Canada, and Mexico – try and keep up! #RojavaResistance #Rojava https://t.co/2LDOxcz738 pic.twitter.com/kTX5HqjbWN
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 12, 2019
Sunday, October 13th:
Yesterday we blocked the airports, today we take the streets. #riseup4rojava pic.twitter.com/1yzxz5hrUC
— AllOutBayArea (@alloutbay) October 13, 2019
- Mass march in San Francisco, CA.
- Rallies in Los Angeles, CA, South Bend, IN, Seattle, WA, Philadelphia, PA, Boston, MA, and Toronto, ON.
Rojava Solidarity Demo in Philadelphia on October 13th! #riseup4rojava #revolutionaryanarchism pic.twitter.com/howCwTQo2I
— RevAbolitionPhl (@RAM_Philly) October 28, 2019
Tuesday, October 15th:
- Banner dropped in Montpelier, VT.
Banner drop in #Montpelier in solidarity with #Rojava. #RiseUp4Rojava pic.twitter.com/sv40Rl8WEX
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 15, 2019
Thursday, 17th:
- Rally in Dallas, TX, Trump supporters tried provoke the crowd, but were unsuccessful.
Kurds of Dallas and their allies rallied for peoples of Rojava facing Erdogan's aggression and Trump's betrayal. They were in front of the AAC where Trump was ranting.
Trump supporters tried to provoke violence by spewing hatred and bigotry, but demonstrators stayed peaceful 1/7 pic.twitter.com/z10ZCNyFvN
— Nujdar Zibari ☀️ (@nzibari) October 18, 2019
Friday, October 18th:
- Rally in Lincoln, NB, protest outside of airport in Detroit, MI.
Saturday, October 19th:
- Mass march in San Francisco, CA, blocks bay bridge.
- Rally in Toronto.
Shutting down the Bay Bridge in solidarity with Rojava. #riseup4rojava pic.twitter.com/GzVNw6xqcn
— AllOutBayArea (@alloutbay) October 19, 2019
Sunday, October 20th:
- Rallies in Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA, and Vancouver, BC.
There is an old saying that goes, “Kurds have no friends but the mountains,” so we wanted to send a strong message to our hevals that, “We are your mountains.” pic.twitter.com/3DTho2O4BX
— Rojava and Kurdish Solidarity Seattle (@RojavaSeaSol) October 21, 2019
Friday, October 25th:
- Anarchists organize rally in solidarity with Rojava in Montpelier, VT.
Over 50 people rallied in #Montpelier #Vermont in solidarity with #Rojava and took to the streets. pic.twitter.com/vECNlfYRCY
— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 29, 2019
Sunday, October 27th:
- Solidarity rally in Harrisonburg, VA.
Yesterday I stood in solidarity with our Kurdish neighbors in #Harrisonburg. The people of Rojava and the Kurdish diaspora are suffering because Donald Trump betrayed and abandoned some of our most faithful allies. #SaveRojava pic.twitter.com/pUYcxoV888
— Brent Finnegan (@BFinnegan) October 28, 2019
Saturday, November 2nd:
- Large demonstration shuts down 580 in Oakland.
Shutting it down for Rojava #riseup4rojava #worldresistanceday pic.twitter.com/EcTJdKVUbg
— AllOutBayArea (@alloutbay) November 2, 2019
- Rally and march in Portland.
VIDEO – Today we participated in the November 2nd day of international solidarity with the people of Rojava, outside the Turkish Consulate. Long live Rojava! Long live the YPG! Smash Turkish Fascism! #Solidarity #DefendRojava #RiseUp4Rojava #WomenDefendRojava #ybş #hpc pic.twitter.com/DWbMbC9Hjd
— Outlive Them NYC (@outlivethemnyc) November 2, 2019
- Rallies in New York, Seattle, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Knoxville, TN.
Montréal supporte #RiseUp4Rojava pic.twitter.com/WGYm1aKNHi
— Rojava Montréal (@rojavamontreal) November 2, 2019
#RiseUp4Rojava #RojavaResistance pic.twitter.com/m54QiMbvjx
— Shane Burley (@shane_burley1) November 2, 2019
Huge honor to march with my terrific Seattle friends at @RojavaSeaSol on World Resistance Day in opposition to the Turkish invasion of Rojava. Biji Rojava!✌️ @CommuneInt @starrcongress @DemandUtopia #WomenDefendRojava#RiseUp4Rojava pic.twitter.com/0XRpURczkc
— Debbie Bookchin (@debbiebookchin) November 3, 2019
— Rojava and Kurdish Solidarity Seattle (@RojavaSeaSol) November 3, 2019
- Large march in Toronto.
A large group Kurds and their feiends were rally from Younge & Fundas to @TorontoStar in to protest attacks on Kurds in Syria. #WorldRojavaDay pic.twitter.com/9CnPzXuP21
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) November 2, 2019
Resources
Flyers, Posters & Zines
- One Page Flyer
- ‘Trump and Erdogan’ Poster from CrimethInc.
- ‘Rojava is the Grave of Fascism’ Poster from CrimethInc.
- Understanding the Kurdish Resistance PDF
Endorsements
If your organization endorses this call, please circulate this text and contact us at [email protected] to sign on. This list will be updated regularly at crimethinc.com and itsgoingdown.org.
- Coordination for the Defense of Rojava
- 1312 Press
- Acid Communist League of Atlanta
- Agency (www.anarchistagency.com/)
- Albany General Defense Committee
- Horacio Almanza Alcalde
- AK Press (www.akpress.org/)
- Anarchist Federation (UK)
- Anarresti Hacker Union
- Angry Socialist Community – ASC (@AngrySocialists)
- Anon Anarchist Action
- The Anti-Capitalist League (facebook.com/anticapitalistleague)
- Antifa Sacramento
- Antifascists of the Seven Hills
- Antifascistas Belo Horizonte – Brazil
- Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (awsm.nz)
- Asociación de Amistad con Kurdistán (Spain)
- Atlanta Antifascists
- The Autonomous University of Political Education
- The Base
- Bay Area Mesopotamia Solidarity Committee
- Black Cat House
- Black Rose Anarchist Federation – Los Angeles Local
- Black Socialists of America
- Bloomington Anarchist Black Cross
- The Boiling Point Collective (http://facebook.com/pg/boilingpointkzoo/about/)
- Bonfire Collective, Santa Barbara, CA
- Debbie Bookchin
- The Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen, Unitarian Universalist Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Houston
- Boulder County Democratic Socialists of America
- Breakaway Social Center
- Brigada 71 – NY Cosmos Supporters (@CosmosAFA)
- Shane Burley
- Campus Marxist-Humanists
- Carne Ross (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyqG-71zOi0&feature=youtu.be)
- Chicago Anti-Fascist Action
- Chicago General Defense Committee
- Noam Chomsky
- Colorado Springs Anti-Fascists
- Cooperation Jackson
- CrimethInc. Workers’ Collective
- The Dandelion Network
- Decolonize This Place (decolonizethisplace.org)
- Demand Utopia Seattle
- Democratic Socialists of America – Central Jersey
- Democratic Socialists of America – Cincinnati (dsacincy.org, @dsacincy)
- Democratic Socialists of America – Communist Caucus
- Democratic Socialists of America – Harrisburg, PA
- Democratic Socialists of America – Libertarian Socialist Caucus
- Democratic Socialists of America – Metro Atlanta
- Democratic Socialists of America – National
- Democratic Socialists of America – Sacramento
- Democratic Socialists of America – San Francisco (Immigrant Rights & International Solidarity)
- Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) – Bloomington
- Denver Anarchist Black Cross
- Direct Action Front for Palestine
- DC Antifascist Coalition
- Ricardo Dominguez, Associate Professor, UCSD
- Earth Strike International (www.earth-strike.com)
- Economics for Everyone – Olympia (facebook.com/EconomicsforEveryoneOly/)
- Emergency Committee for Rojava (ECR) (www.defendrojava.org)
- Extinction Rebellion Seattle
- The Fayer Collective
- Fédération Anarchiste – France (federation-anarchiste.org)
- The Final Straw
- George Fish, Indianapolis
- Frontline Organization Working to End Racism (FLOWER)
- Flyover Social Center
- Gilets Jaunes de Saillans, France
- Le groupe libertaire Jules Durand (le-libertaire.net)
- Andrej Grubačić, Professor and Department Chair, Anthropology and Social Change, CIIS
- Grupo Erva Rebelde Anarquista (GERA), Porto, Portugal
- David Graeber
- A Gralha Self-Managed Social Center – Porto, Portugal
- Gulf Revolutionary Artist Formation
- Hispagatos
- The Holler Network
- Industrial Workers of the World – Atlanta
- Industrial Workers of The World – Central NJ GMB
- Industrial Workers of the World – West Virginia
- Indy Food Not Bombs (@FNB_INDY)
- Inhabit
- International Red Front (https://www.instagram.com/irf.official)
- It’s Going Down
- Kali Akuno
- Kasa Invisível Belo Horizonte – Brazil
- Knoxville Anti-Fascist Action
- Knoxville Radical Alliance
- Leveller Communications (leveller.info)
- Little Village Solidarity Network
- Love and Rage Media (@loveandrageNY)
- The Lucy Parsons Center
- Midwest Unrest (@MW_Unrest)
- Minnesota United Against Fascism (@MNUnitedAF)
- Mulheres pela Revolução (https://www.facebook.com/mulherespelarevolucao/)
- Murfreesboro Anti-Fascist Action (Mboro AFA)
- Neighborhood Anarchist Collective (neighborhoodanarchists.org)
- New York City Antifa (https://twitter.com/NYCantifa)
- No Space for Hate Bloomington (https://nospace4hate.btown-in.org/)
- North Valley Mutual Aid
- Northeastern Mutual Aid and Defense (NOMAD)
- Noumenon Distro
- Olympia Assembly (olyassembly.org)
- Olympia Solidarity Network (olyassembly.org/olysol/)
- One People’s Project (idavox.com)
- International Outlive Them Network
- Pacific NorthWest Antifascist Workers Collective (http://pnwawc.com/)
- Palestine Solidarity Committee – Blooomington, IN
- Panic! in the Discord Collective
- Dr. Ian Alan Paul, Assistant Professor of Emerging Media at Stony Brook University
- People’s Defense League – South Louisiana
- PM Press (www.pmpress.org/)
- Popmob – Portland, OR
- Progressive Global Commons (@ProGloCommons)
- A Radical Guide (www.radical-guide.com)
- rek2 (as individual)
- Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement- Elm City
- Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement – NYC
- Revolutionary Organizing Against Racism (ROAR Collective)
- The Right to the City – Timisoara, Romania
- Robert Evans (@IwriteOK)
- Rojava Azadi Madrid
- Rojava Montréal
- Rojava Solidarity Colorado (@RojavaSoliCO)
- Rojava Solidarity Portland (facebook.com/rojavasolidarityportland/)
- Rojava Solidarity Seattle
- Rose City Antifa, Portland, Oregon
- Georgia Sagri
- San Gabriel Valley Mutual Aid
- Santa Barbara Student Activist Network
- Scuffletown Anti-Repression Committee
- Seattle Rising Tide
- Micol Seigel, author of Violence Work
- Le Social Club (Le-Social.Club)
- Soflaexit (Soflaexit.com)
- Solidarity Against Fascism East Bay (SAFEBay)
- Solidarity and Direct Action – Seattle
- Sprout Distro
- Subversión #1312 (Subversion1312.org)
- Tar Sands Blockade – Texas
- The Teardown Community
- The Torch Antifascist Network
- Union Communiste Libertaire (unioncommunistelibertaire.org/)
- Voices in Movement
- A World Without Police
- Youth Liberation Front (Portland, Seattle, Wisconsin, Carolina, Bay Area, Illinois)