The Resistance Network (Die Widerstandsvernetzung), a network founded in Switzerland that promotes political cooperation in solidarity with the struggle of the Kurds and oppressed peoples, announced a campaign entitled, “Gas Masks for the Guerilla”.

Upon a number of statements from the press centre of the People’s Defence Forces (HPG), an armed force of the Kurdistan Workers’s Party (PKK), the Resistance Network said they decided to launch a campaign to supply the Kurdish fighters with “gas masks”.

In their written statement published in six languages online, the Network said, “The guerrilla needs gas masks! In order to be able to continue to bring gas masks to the mountains, we call for donations. The money will be used to organise filters and gas masks.”

Recently released video footage, published also by Medya News yesterday, have once again raised questions Turkey’s alleged use of toxic gases against Kurdish fighters.

Newly emerged video footage that was reportedly filmed in August by Kurdish fighters show mountainous tunnels used by the Kurdish fighters filled with some kind of green coloured gas.

As it is unknown which type of gas or chemicals cause the green smoke in the video, and Kurdish fighters have been seen using gas masks and flash lights to be able to move in the tunnels they have been utilising in their counter-actions against Turkey’s ongoing cross-border operations in northern Iraq since late-April.

With the campaign that has been ongoing since September as a response to numerous calls and statements from the Kurdish fighters regarding Turkey’s use of toxic gases, 700 gas masks and countless filters have already been supplied to the Kurdish fighters, according to the Resistance Network.

“But many more are still needed. That’s why we are taking another run at it to collect as much money as we can. HPG is alarmed and calls for immediate support.”

The Resistance Network called on those who would like to support the campaign to donate the following account information of the Red Help Switzerland:

Donation account :
Rote Hilfe Schweiz
8036 Zürich (Schweiz)
CH82 0900 0000 8555 9939 2
Purpose of payment : « Gasmasken »

Additional bank information for transfers from outside of Switzerland is shared in the campaign website as follows:

PostFinance, Mingerstrasse 20, 3030 Bern, Schweiz
BIC (SWIFT-Code) : POFICHBEXXX

The Resistance Network is a founding member and part of the international coordination of the “RiseUp4Rojava” campaign, in which structures from Rojava, Sweden, Italy, Germany, England, Catalonia, Greece, Austria and France are represented.