12th anniversary of World Kobani Day marked in Vienna

A large gathering was held in Vienna today to mark the 12th anniversary of World Kobani Day, at the invitation of Komala Rojava. The event reviewed key moments in the city’s resistance against ISIS mercenaries, the role of women, and the impact of the resistance on mobilizing international solidarity.

The gathering took place at the headquarters of Komala Karda and began with a minute of silence in tribute to those who lost their lives in the Kobani resistance and the martyrs of Kurdistan’s freedom struggle.

Journalist and politician Binyad Jaziri spoke about the political and military circumstances preceding the ISIS mercenaries’ attack on Kobani. He discussed the motives behind targeting the city and attempts to break the will of its people and eliminate their experience of resistance and freedom.

He reviewed the resistance waged by fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), stressing that the threat posed by ISIS extended beyond the Kurdish people to humanity as a whole.

He noted that Kurdish women’s resistance, the self-sacrificing operations carried out by the two martyrs Arin Mirkan and Rivan Rojava, and the fighters’ resistance at Sarzuri School were pivotal moments in confronting ISIS. These acts also helped mobilize solidarity with Kobani across Kurdistan and around the world.

He emphasized that the Kobani resistance went beyond defending a city, becoming a humanitarian epic and a symbol of resistance, dignity and freedom. He added that the sacrifices of the martyrs helped unite the four parts of Kurdistan around a common cause.

Remembering the Launch of Global Solidarity with Kobani

The gathering also examined the international background of the occasion, recalling the appeal issued in October 2014 by writers, artists, human rights activists, academics, journalists, civil society representatives and lawmakers from around the world, including American intellectual Noam Chomsky. The appeal called for solidarity with Kobani and rejected leaving the city to face “terrorism” without the necessary support.

Speakers noted that the appeal developed into a broad solidarity movement in cities around the world on November 1, 2014, establishing the date as an annual occasion known as World Kobani Day.

Political activist and member of Defend Kurdistan, Anna Tölhöldan, spoke about the historical significance of the occasion. She said the Kobani resistance had rewritten the history of the region, with the leading role played by women standing out as one of its most prominent features.

She added that the resistance marked the beginning of ISIS’s actual defeat and encouraged democratic, leftist and progressive forces around the world to support Kobani.

She also recalled the positions taken by prominent figures and organizations that signed a statement supporting the city and called on people to take to the streets in solidarity with its resistance, describing it as a defense of human values, freedom and dignity.

The gathering concluded with a documentary screening about World Kobani Day, highlighting key moments in the city’s resistance, its historical and humanitarian significance, and its role in mobilizing popular and international solidarity against “terrorism.”

ANHA