The links between Kurdish groups and anarchists were born from the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) leader Abdullah Ocalan's prison conversion to the writings of Murray Bookchin, a New York anarchist academic. In Kobani the PYD (Democratic Union Party) and its armed wing, the YPG, are followers of Ocalan, and have attempted to implement an autonomous form of Kurdish direct democracy.
* "A ‘Revolution’ under Attack – the Alternative in midst the War in Syria" (2014-09-30) [archive.org]
* "These Remarkable Women Are Fighting ISIS. It’s Time You Know Who They Are" (2014-10-06) [archive.org]
* "Why is the world ignoring the revolutionary Kurds in Syria?" (2014-10-08) [TheGuardian.com link] [archive.today]
* "Crisis in Rojava: A call to our sisters and women comrades" (2014-10-08) [archive.org]
* "Taksim to Kobani: Turkish anarchists defy Syrian border" (2014-10-09) [Channel4.com link] [archive.today]
* "Revolution will win in Kobanê!", DAF report from Boydê Village (2014-10-09) [archive.today], 2nd version "The revolution will win in Kobanê!" (2014-10-10) [archive.org]
* "Let us not live the Kurds alone! - Alongside resistance Kobanê! - Their struggle is ours" (2014-10-10) [archive.org]
* "SF Demonstration in Solidarity with Kobane and Rojava Revolution" (2014-10-11) [IndyBay.org link] [archive.org]
* "Rojava: An Anarcho-Syndicalist Perspective" (2014-10-17) [archive.org]
* "International Libertarian-Socialist Statement in Solidarity with the Kurdish Resistance " (2014-10-19) [Anarkismo.net link] [archive.org link]
"Solidarity with the Kurdish women's and popular resistance",
from "Federacao Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro (FARJ)" [FARJ.org] [Facebook.com link] [archive.today], distributed by "A-infos-en Digest", Vol 114, Issue 17, 2014-10-16:
The civil war in Syria has brought new elements to the situation of the Kurdish region. Inspired by various popular traditions of resistance, a significant sector of Kurds participate in an experience that should be looked at carefully by all revolutionary sectors.The Kurds have a long history of uprisings against the oppression carried out by various nation-states. So-called Kurdistan is not a nation state, but a territory that spans parts of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan, where approximately 26 million people live. The civil war in Syria facilitated the emergence of the extreme right-wing group, the Islamic State (ISIS), which aims, initially, to build a caliphate in the regions of Iraq and Syria. The big problem is that ISIS is advancing over large territories with the perspective of building an extreme right-wing Islamic state that would have dire consequences for the future of the working class (and especially women) throughout the region. The imperialism led by NATO (which is largely part of the problem) conducts its "theatre" of war, waiting for ISIS to massacre the Kurdish popular resistance in Kobane, probably in order to make an intervention at the most opportune time and to impose their puppet governments immediately with the defeat of the role of the Kurdish people.
At this very moment, popular and revolutionary sectors are fighting with scarce resources in areas liberated from the Islamic State, which include popular assemblies, councils (with ethnic balance) and the formation of a women's armed wing (linked to the PKK), the YPJ. In this time of crisis our solidarity should be a class solidarity that goes beyond the political boundaries of nation-states and the divisions within the working class. The Kurdish popular struggle will largely decide the fate of that region, against the fascist extreme right of ISIS, the planned omission of the UN and the imperialism of NATO. This is why we must actively support the Kurdish popular struggle!
All support for the Kurdish popular resistance! Kobane will win!
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"Kurdish fighters turning the tide at Kobani", distributed by "A-infos-en Digest", Vol 114, Issue 17, 2014-10-16:
Kurdish fighters at Kobani are starting to gain ground against ISIS forces, days after the jihadists had penetrated the besieged town in northern Syria. Images on the Daily Mail website show Kurdish YPG fighters triumphantly raising their flag above Tel Shair hill in the west of the town, where the black jihadist flag ISIS had recently been flying. The report emphasizes the role of US air-strikes in the turn-around, and also claims the YPG has started to press local youth into its ranks in a conscription drive. The Washington Post shows images of the latest US strikes on ISIS positions at Kobani, and notes that the US-led military campaign has now been officially dubbed "Inherent Resolve."
However, YPG's defense minister in Kobani, Mr. Hesen, speaking to the independent Kurdish news agency DHA, downplayed the role of outside aid, saying, "Air-strikes are effective but not reaching their factual target." In an awkwardly translated quote, he denied that arms have reached Kobani's defenders, either from Iraq's Kurdish regional government or world powers: "We have called for aid for times up to now. [Sic] We are renewing our appeals to our people, international community and states. Nobody heard us. The world closed its ears and remained silent. No aid of weaponry made for [has reached] Kobani."
A YPG statement noted that Oct. 14 marked the 30th day of the siege on Kobani. The statement claimed 1,294 ISIS fighters have been killed in the fighting thus far, although it failed to give a figure for YPG fighters killed. It also claimed 10 ISIS tanks and a large number of military vehicles have been destroyed by YPGF forces. (ANF)
Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy to Syria, again warned of a likely "massacre" if Kobani falls. He said some 700 non-combatants, most of them elderly people, remain in the town, while 12,000 people are caught between the town and the Turkish border. He issued an "appeal to the Turkish authorities" to "allow the flow of volunteers" across the border to Kobani. (Alliance for Kurdish Rights)
Local Kurds and their supporters from across Turkey have launched a "resistance vigil" at the border near Kobani in solidarity with the town's defenders, protesting the closure of the border by Turkish security forces. The resistance vigil is being maintained at the border villages of Mahser and Miseynter. (ANF)
Some volunteers have apparently managed to get through. The remains of one Kurdish fighter killed at Kobani were returned to the Turkish town of Batman, where a massive funeral procession accompanied his coffin draped with the PKK flag. The crowd chanted "Long live the YPG resistance," "Kurdistan will become a grave for ISIS," and "Martyrs are immortal!" (DHA)
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* "People’s Protection Units, YPG and YPJ" (2014-10-14) [archive.org]
* "Interview With YPG Commander: ISIS Has Lost In Kobanê" (2014-10-17) [archive.org]
* "In the Name of the Fight Against Terrorism, Turkey Is Drawn Into the Chaos of War" (2014-10-15) [archive.org]
* "Kobane continues to resist Isis" (2014-10-14) [archive.today]: To those who would be tempted to cheerlead the role NATO airstrikes played it should be pointed out that NATO's second largest army (Turkey) also appear to have carried out an airstrike AGAINST Kurds last night near Oremar (Daglica), a Kurdish town in the Turkish state close to the border with Iraq where the PKK has bases.
* "Tell Us Lies About Kobanê -unpicking the demand for Turkish & western intervention" (2014-10-09) [archive.org]: The notion that the fall of Kobanê could be prevented by the intervention of the Turkish army is a smokescreen that covers the truth that they are already intervening - on the side of ISIS. The Turkish state's selective blockade of the border, which allows arms and volunteers to cross for ISIS, but strangles them for the YPG defenders of Kobanê is the decisive intervention that is giving ISIS the upper hand.
* "The defence of Kobane against ISIS" (2014-10-07) from "Workers Solidarity Movement" of Ireland, distributed by "A-infos-en Digest", Vol 114, Issue 8:
The defence of Kobane against ISIS continues today.
Our friends in DAF (Anarchist Federation in the Turkish state) sent the following communication to us (they have a number of members in the area):
"Kobane did not fall and won't fall!
Everyone who live and go for solidarity to Suru?, are waiting in the borders. People whole around Anatolia and Mezopotamia are in the streets. All Kurdish people and revolutionaries make everywhere Koban. If Kobane falls, Kobane's fire will burn everywhere. Everywhere is Kobane, everywhere is resistance!, Long live the Rojava Revolution!"
ISIS launched attacks into Kobane last night but for the most part it appears these were repulsed. As of a couple of hours ago however it appeared that they were still holding the locations where the flags had been raised.
The Turkish army has tanks on the border but they are not only ignoring ISIS fighters clearly visible on the other side but it appears ISIS vehicles have crossed the border to dodge the very limited number of air strikes that have occurred. The de facto support of the Turkish state for the ISIS assault has resulted in a wave of protests and occupations across Europe in the last 24 hours and rioting in several cities in the Turkish state. See Photos 1. [archive.today], 2. [archive.today].
The Turkish state has been tear gassing both journalists and solidarity activists near the border. Part of the purpose of the gathering of solidarity activists which includes anarchists is to act as a patrol to stop ISIS re-enforcing across the border from Turkey.
As of the time of posting reports are that the battle sounds less intense than the previous couple of days but street fighting can still be heard from the town.
As Kurdish fighters continue to resist the onslaught of ISIL/Daesh on their communities and homes, people are mobilising across Turkey and Europe to express their grief and outrage.
Join us to bear symbolic witness to the bravery of those who fight back in Kobane and of their comrades and allies in Turkey who are standing with them in rejecting the shameful complicity of the Turkish government and of our own governments."
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Meanwhile, researchers have noted that the ISIS militias have not targeted the State of Israel, which has supported ISIS during their war against the government of Syria.
* "Gardeners discover bag of ISIS flags in northern Israel" (2014-10-06) [JewishJournal.com link] [archive.today]
* "Turkey and Israel Are Directly Supporting ISIS and Al Qaeda Terrorists In Syria" (2014-09-29) [WashingtonsBlog.com link] [archive.today]
* "Israeli Military Support to Syria Al Qaeda Terrorists, Operating out of the Golan Heights" (2014-02-19) [GlobalResearch.ca link] [archive.today]
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Also see "Balochistan on the brink" (2014-10-08) [archive.org], describing another nation "not on the map". The Baloch National homeland (Balochistan) is divided between the jurisdictions of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and was once held by the British Empire. Today, the USA and EU have been supporting a Baloch national uprising against Iran and Pakistan (while suppressing the same uprising within the jurisdiction of USA client state Afghanistan) in order to disrupt plans for energy distributions, as shown here: "Iran determined to move ahead with pipeline to Pakistan" (2014-10-20) [OilGasDaily.com link] [archive.today]
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