PARIS – During the central memorial demonstration for Şehîd Sara (Sakine Cansız), Şehîd Rojbîn (Fidan Doğan), Şehîd Ronahî (Leyla Şeylemez) who were murdered on January 9, 2013 by the MIT and on the orders of the fascist government in Turkey, as well as the martyrs of the second Paris massacre on 23. December 2022 in which Heval Evîn Goyî Emine Kara and artist Mîr Perwer (Mehmet Şirin Aydın) and long-time welatparêz Abdurrahman Kızıl Şehîd were killed, our news agency talked to the participating youth and young women about the massacres and their attitude towards them.
Kurdish youth Nuran, who lives in France stated:
“We are here today because 10 years ago 3 of our friends were murdered in the center of Paris. Like every year, we will protest and make our voices heard. We want France to talk about it and know how we feel. We feel hate. Young people need to mobilize, they need to come and protest, because we need to show our anger year after year and all generations growing up should protest with us.”
Continuing, he said, “The role of young people is to show that Kurds exist, that they are fighting, that they are independent. We have to show that we are here, a big, united society, that we can determine ourselves, express ourselves and protest.”
As a youth, what is your position on the second massacre in Paris?
A Kurdish youth from Paris made clear statements, stating:
“In my opinion, there is insecurity on the streets. As a young person living in Europe, I don’t feel safe at all, because of what happened 10 years ago and in the last days. 6 deaths, in the middle of Europe, on our doorstep, this is not normal, not normal at all. I call on all young people, young, old, female or male, to stand up for us and be sensitive to all these events that affect us!”
We also asked young women for their opinion, who told us the following:
As a young woman, how do you feel about the second Paris massacre?
“As young women, we are very little represented in France. There are very few young women in France who dare to join the revolution we are leading. After this revolution started by Rêber APO, the number of young women who dare and join the revolution is very small because of fear. As a Kurdish woman from Adıyaman society, I myself have been affected by oppression and despite all the oppression we have experienced, we will not stop. I call on all young women to join our movement and keep our women’s revolution alive, regardless of oppression or what people say, regardless of what happens, against oppression by men and even some Kurdish men in our society.”
How do you evaluate the second massacre in Paris and what is your attitude towards it?
Newroz from Germany stated:
“My personal attitude towards this is that this massacre should show us where the place of the Kurds is in the world. Namely, that we have no place here at all, we have no rights. We are without a state and without citizenship, nobody protects us. Especially the fascist government in Ankara wants to show us that they want to destroy us. I personally came today not only because of the anniversary of Heval Sakine, Leyla and Fidan, but also to show that we Kurds and this movement cannot be destroyed. As long as a Kurd exists in this world, we will fight, for our freedom, for all our rights and values.
I think that the government in Ankara wants to show us that the purge has started. This extreme struggle against the Kurds has now begun and anyone and everyone who not only follows the political sentiment, but simply sees themselves as a Kurd is, in my opinion, obliged to be here today and fight for it.”
Zilan said to the question:
“Of course, we have a very critical attitude towards the second massacre of the girlfriend and friends that took place recently, on December 23. It is not a coincidence that 10 years later there was this case again. Above all, it is also very critical that a friend was murdered again, which is also symbolic of the eradication of women’s liberation, Kurdish women’s liberation. That is why we have come in large numbers today, we want to give a sign to argue for a political solution, a peaceful solution.”
Axin, a young Kurdish woman, addressed a message to the youth, telling us:
“This is my message: we need to mobilize. We should not say ‘I am too lazy to go out’. This case is a long-standing case that has been going on for 10 years. Over the years, some people think they shouldn’t come anymore. Young people need to say it’s about our homeland and our society, we need to show up and protest no matter what country we are in.”
