Call to join the Long March 2021 for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan
We, the RiseUp4Rojava (R4R) Network and Campaign, declare our support for the Long March 2021 for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan under the slogan “End Isolation, Fascism and Occupation! – time for freedom has come!”, and we call upon all internationalists to join the march from 4th – 13th February.
The long march is set in the context of the wider campaign under the same slogan, for which we have also written a statement of support and which we have also joined as R4R. Currently, heroic hunger strikes inside and outside of prisons take place in the context of the wider campaign. This emphasises the importance of seeing the revolutionary and anti-fascist initiatives from Kurdistan to the world as one, to be united in our struggle to Smash Turkish Fascism and to defend the Rojava revolution by also marching for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.
Abdullah Öcalan is an inspiration to millions of people worldwide and he is the intellectual pioneer of democratic confederalism. Democratic Confederalism – with its pillars of radical democracy, women’s liberation and ecology – is no longer be only found in Rojava, Şengal, Mexmûr, Bakur (North-Kurdistan, Eastern Turkey), or the Kurdish mountains, but across the world, people, communities, and movements are learning about it and practise it as the democratic alternative to the nation state system imposed on us by the fascist and imperialist forces of capitalist modernity.
The forces of capitalist modernity fear the success of this democratic alternative and the global impact the revolution in Rojava and in the whole of Kurdistan has already had. That is why they conduct intense attacks and continuously increase the war on a daily basis in all parts of Kurdistan. The attacks against the revolution are only possible due to the technological, military, financial, political and diplomatic cooperation of the opportunist and imperialist governments, especially of the USA, Western European, and other states, with the fascist AKP-MHP regime in Turkey.
These imperialist regimes of capitalist modernity aim to destroy revolutionary movements wherever they appear. If they cannot annihilate us immediately, they increase the pressure by targeting, isolating and suppressing us, the democratic revolutionary forces of the world.
Isolation is most concrete on the Turkish prison island Imrali. Here, Abdullah Öcalan, has been imprisoned since 15th February 1999. Despite indescribable conditions of his isolation, he has never given up hope for a peaceful solution to conflicts in the Middle East and beyond.
Thus, the struggle for peace, democracy, women’s liberation, ecology, and hence, a free life includes the struggle against Öcalan’s isolation. Through Imrali, Turkish fascism not only aims at isolating Öcalan as a person, but targets, isolates, and suppresses us, democratic revolutionary forces of the world, and the democratic achievements that have emerged from his ideas. Thus, to be united together in our anti-fascist, anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist struggles is not only the best, but the response we have to give to continue building a free life.
We, therefore, call upon all internationalists to join the long march from 4th – 13th February (see dates and short info on next page), under the slogan “End Isolation, Fascism and Occupation! – The time for freedom has come!”
Together we are going to break the isolation in Imrali and Kurdistan! Together we are going to Smash Turkish Fascism!
Fascism will be smashed – the Revolution in the Middle East will win!
Rise Up Against Fascism!
Rise Up Against Isolation!
Rise Up 4 Revolution!
Rise Up 4 Rojava!
RiseUp4Rojava – Campaign,
18th January 2020
Short information:
• 4th February: Gathering, briefing and kick-off event in Frankfurt, Germany.
• 5th – 13th February: Long March from Hanau to Strasbourg
• 12th February: Event in Strasbourg
• 13th February: Large demonstration in Strasbourg
• Sports shoes and warm clothing are suitable for the march. Sleeping bags should be brought along.
For registration, and more information, contact:
longmarch2021 [at] protonmail.com
Covid-19-pandemic measures will be observed throughout the march.
For more information and the official call in different languages: http://longmarch.freeocalan.org/