Protests against the criminalisation of the Kurdish movement took place in front of many German representations in Europe on Saturday at the same time as the “Lift the PKK ban, strengthen democracy” demonstration in Berlin. Activists also protested outside the German embassy in London against the ban on the PKK’s activities in Germany and the EU’s classification of the PKK as a terrorist organisation. The participants carried PKK flags and flags with the slogan “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan”. One banner read “The PKK fights for Kurdish rights, the PKK is not terrorist”.

Aso Kerimi, co-chair of the Kurdish People’s Council in London, called on Germany to end its criminalisation policy and described the treatment of the three million Kurds in Europe as a disgrace to any constitutional state. Aso Kerimi pointed to the decades-long oppression of the Kurdish people by the Turkish state and said that the PKK ban was in the service of a dictatorial regime: “The PKK is a movement that fights for women’s liberation and the equal coexistence of all identities in the Middle East. This movement fought for all of humanity against ISIS and defeated the Islamist terrorist organisation. The PKK ban prevents democratisation and supports the dictator Erdogan, who is causing chaos and crises in the Middle East with his ISIS mentality. For a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, the PKK ban must be lifted, and the PKK must be removed from the EU’s terror list. The PKK ban is unfounded and immoral and serves fascism.”

After this speech, the police attacked the peaceful rally, detaining activists and confiscating flags. Kurdish activist Beritan Slemani expressed her anger and said: “It is the PKK that is fighting for the dignity of all humanity against ISIS barbarism, dictators and fascists. We are Kurds and we are all PKK. You cannot call us terrorists and you cannot ban the PKK.”

While the police took the personal details of individual activists, the protest continued. “Shame on you” was shouted again and again. After all the activists had been released, people danced to Kurdish songs in front of the German embassy.