In Barcelona, Catalonia, a seminar entitled ‘Peoples’ self-determination and language’ was organised at the CIEMEN centre, which coordinates institutions working for the integration and empowerment of migrants. Speakers from the Amazigh, Roma, Catalan and Kurdistan peoples took part in the seminar, sharing experiences on attacks on language and identity, people’s self-defence strategy and tactical requirements.

The participants discussed Abdullah Öcalan’s concept of ‘democratic nation’, the cultural genocide of identities by nation states, nationalism, assimilation and cultural genocide.

As part of the campaign, the Platform for Solidarity with Kurdistan (Ponent amb Kurdistan) organised a demonstration and event in Llieda, Catalonia. The activists underlined that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has made a great effort and developed a strategy for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.

The statement announced the participation of the residents of the city of Lleida in the campaign for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and added: “The current detention conditions of Abdullah Öcalan are in violation of human rights conventions and anti-torture treaties. Since there has been no contact or sign of life with Öcalan for three years, the situation is grave. The attacks by the Turkish state do not stop and even the judgements of the ECtHR are not respected. International organisations must therefore take action against this absolute lack of communication. We call on international organisations to stand against the illegal and inhuman isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. Let us all support the campaign for freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.”

After the statement, young people hung banners and posters with the slogans ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, peaceful solution to the Kurdish question’, ‘Your freedom is our freedom’ and ‘Freedom will prevail!’ in the busy areas of the city. Images of the Kurdish leader were painted on the walls of the city.

The United Workers’ Union (CUT) affiliated to the World Trade Union (FSM) also made a statement in support of the campaign. Noting that Abdullah Öcalan has been imprisoned in İmralı Prison for 25 years and 7 months, the statement said, “We demand the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. We believe that all governments must take human rights as a basis and respect them.”

The CUT-affiliated magazine Entalto also featured the 1-11 October poster and called on all its members to join the campaign for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.