French intellectuals and politicians call for support for Afrin A group of French intellectuals, politicians and academics called on the French people to stand with Kurdish people against the Turkish invasion in Afrin.

French intellectuals and politicians call for support for Afrin
A group of French intellectuals, politicians and academics called on the French people to stand with Kurdish people against the Turkish invasion in Afrin.

In a statement published in Humanite newspaper, a group of French politicians and intellectuals called for defense of freedom, equality, feminism and ecology values in Rojava against Turkey.

“Today Rojava is threatened by an unprecedented and unilateral attack by Turkey. Attack on Afrin has killed dozens of civilians, mostly women and children, including many Arab refugees from Idlib. These bombings are also destroying the civilian infrastructure of a region previously not affected by war. Afrin was one of the last havens of peace in Syria” the statement read.

Here are some excerpts from the statement:

“Since the nineteenth century, there are countless massacres and even genocide against the Kurdish community. The last one dates back less than 30 years, the "Anfal" operation of Saddam Hussein, which resulted with the death of 180,000 Kurds in Iraq in 1988.

Turkish President Erdogan dreams of himself as Sultan at the head of a new Ottoman Empire. This is his main motivation for invading the Afrin region and purging this territory of any minority contrary to his political and ideological ambitions. In this momentum, he relies on a fringe of Islamist mercenaries, some of whom claim the extermination of the Kurds of Afrin.

Daesh (ISIS) took the opportunity to launch a major offensive against the positions of the Arab-Kurdish coalition of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the province of Deir ez-Zor. The attack was perfectly coordinated with the assault against the positions of the SDF in Afrin. This offensive serves the purposes of Daesh and jihadists in Syria. The SDF were sent to Raqqa at the request of the international coalition against Daesh. They served as cannon fodder for the defense of the interests of the great Western powers. Not only have they fulfilled their contract, but they are only asking to live in peace.

Several countries have expressed support for this intervention, starting with Great Britain. Russia lets it go and the United States looks away. The UN has called for "restraint" and does not oppose the invasion!
We must act now!

We therefore call to mobilize against this project of the Turkish president, but especially to support the ideals of the Syrian Kurdistan revolution: freedom, equality, feminism, ecology. We need massive support for their democratic project, which has so many enemies in the Middle East.

We call for the immediate cessation of Turkey's invasion of Afrin, as well as the withdrawal of its troops from Syria, real and concrete support to protect Rojava from dictatorships, a no-fly zone for protect Afrin from bombing.”

The signatories of the statement are:

Isabelle Attard, former Green MP; Pierre Bance, Doctor of State in Law; Julien Bayou, spokesperson EELV, Regional Advisor IDF; Olivier Besancenot, former presidential candidate; Jacque Boutault, mayor of the second arrondissement of Paris; Mona Bras, Brittany Regional Councilor, Theo Brocart, community activist; Lucie Cabiac, in charge of cultural mediation; Nil Caouissin, spokesman of the UDB (Union Démocratique Bretonne); Sergio Coronado, former MP EELV; Mireille Court, author; Laurence De Cock, historian; Chris Den Hond, journalist; Jérome Gleizes, EELV adviser in Paris; Elie Guillou, artist; Christian Guyonvarc'h, former vice-president of the Regional Council of Brittany; Eva Joly, MEP EELV at the European Parliament; Alain Kervern, translator and author; Annie Lahmer, Regional Advisor IDF EELV; Juliette Lancel, historian; Mathilde Larrère, historian; Raphael Lebrujah, journalist; Marie-Barbara Le Gonidec, ethnomusicologist; René Louail, former regional councilor of Brittany; Lena Louarn, vice-president of the Regional Council of Brittany; Noël Mamère, former deputy; Paul Molac, deputy of Brittany and regional councilor of Brittany; Corinne Morel Darleux, Regional Advisor Auvergne Rhône Alpes; Charlotte Marchandise, deputy of the city of Rennes; Willy Pelletier, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes; Tancred Ramonet, director of documentaries. historian; Raphael Lebrujah, journalist; Marie-Barbara Le Gonidec, ethnomusicologist; René Louail, former regional councilor of Brittany; Lena Louarn, vice-president of the Regional Council of Brittany; Noël Mamère, former deputy; Paul Molac, deputy of Brittany and regional councilor of Brittany; Corinne Morel Darleux, Regional Advisor Auvergne Rhône Alpes; Charlotte Marchandise, deputy of the city of Rennes; Willy Pelletier, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes; Tancred Ramonet, director of documentaries. historian; Raphael Lebrujah, journalist; Marie-Barbara Le Gonidec, ethnomusicologist; René Louail, former regional councilor of Brittany; Lena Louarn, vice-president of the Regional Council of Brittany; Noël Mamère, former deputy; Paul Molac, deputy of Brittany and regional councilor of Brittany; Corinne Morel Darleux, Regional Advisor Auvergne Rhône Alpes; Charlotte Marchandise, deputy of the city of Rennes; Willy Pelletier, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes; Tancred Ramonet, director of documentaries. Vice-President of the Regional Council of Brittany; Noël Mamère, former deputy; Paul Molac, deputy of Brittany and regional councilor of Brittany; Corinne Morel Darleux, Regional Advisor Auvergne Rhône Alpes; Charlotte Marchandise, deputy of the city of Rennes; Willy Pelletier, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes; Tancred Ramonet, director of documentaries. Vice-President of the Regional Council of Brittany; Noël Mamère, former deputy; Paul Molac, deputy of Brittany and regional councilor of Brittany; Corinne Morel Darleux, Regional Advisor Auvergne Rhône Alpes; Charlotte Marchandise, deputy of the city of Rennes; Willy Pelletier, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes; Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, Mayor of the 1st district of Lyon; Gaëlle Vigouroux regional councilor of Brittany; Ana Sohier, Councilor of Rennes.

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