On February 3rd more than 500 people participated in a demonstration downtown Munich, in solidarity with the Kurdish town Afrin that has been under attack by the Turkish military the past weeks. Internationally the ‘Operation Olive Branch’ is questioned and condemned by supporters of Kurdistan. The Turkish military in alliance with the Turkish backed parts of the Free Syrian Army try to conquer Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Videos of Islamist fighters that are teamed up with Erdogan’s forces have gone viral the past week showing a severe war crime, heavy violence – the abuse of a Kurdish woman. An outrage was sparked as it was reported that german exported ‘Leopard II’ tanks are used by the military forces to attack Kurdistan. In Munich Kurds and supporters gathered and marched through downtown. Turkish nationalists showed up at the rally on Karlsplatz, Stachus. At least three men got into scuffles a little off the demonstration – one of them was wearing a Turkos MC hoodie. The nationalist Turkish motorcycle club has shown off at rallies in support with Erdogan in Munich before. Also members of the group attacked counter-protestors almost crashing into them with motorcycles during a nationalist march through Munich last year. At Stachus about 50 mostly minors tried to provoke demonstrators with showing the salute of the greywolves – Turkish fascists, waving Turkish flags and showing the R4bia. This sign became popular during the revolution in Egypt in 2013 and Erdogan stated his support of the Islamist Muslim Brothers with this sign. The demonstration though stayed very peaceful and Kurdish and Turkish activists did not clash.

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See also: Kurdish protest in Frankfurt two weeks ago in the portfolio of team-member Michi: http://michaeltrammer.de/portfolio/afrinunderattack-protest-in-frankfurt-am-main/