- Title: Kurds rally outside White House - 'Don't let your allies perish'
- Date: 8th October 2019
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATOR CHANTING DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING SIGNS IN FRONT OF WHITE HOUSE AND CHANTING "Turkey out of Syria" DEMONSTRATOR WITH RED HAND PAINTED ON HER FACE CHANTING "Down, down fascism" CLOSE-UP OF FLAG VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING FLAGS AND SIGNS IN FRONT OF WHITE HOUSE DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING SIGNS IN FRONT OF WHITE HOUSE AND CHANTING "Long live YPJ" WHITE HOUSE U.S. FLAG CLOSE-UP OF WOMAN'S FACE AS SHE REPEATS CHANT: "Kurds defeat ISIS" WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING: "U.S. don't let your allies perish" (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOPHIA MARJANOVIC, A NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST WHO JOINED THE PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF THE KURDS, SAYING: "Withdrawing support for the Kurds is going to lead to the genocide and that is my concern and I beg you to do the right thing in ensuring that the Kurds have protection. So reverse of whatever you've done likely is trying to be a distraction to the impeachment inquiry that we have going on. I knew. But do the right thing and protect our allies. DEMONSTRATORS WITH MEGAPHONE AND SIGNS DEMONSTRATOR LEADING CHANT "Turkey out of Syria. Turkey out of Rajova." PAN UP FROM SIGN READING "Yes to Democracy. No to Tyranny." TO DEMONSTRATORS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROJHAT ATES, WHO IS KURDISH AND WAS BORN IN TURKEY, SAYING: "If the war starts like if Turkey gets into (INDECIPHERABLE) in Syria, it's not going to be limited by just with Syria. The Kurds in Turkey, the Kurds in everywhere like in the world, they're not going to just like watch everything silently. It's just the war is going to spread out like in the Turkish part of Kurdistan, and Iraqi Kurdistan. And we're not going to watch Turkey just like do whatever they want. And we want the United States government especially the president to think wisely and to review his decisions and to make a wise decision that will help like the region and just bring peace not cause any more casualties, more deaths more pain." VARIOUS OF FLAGS DEMONSTRATOR SAYING: "Kurds fight ISIS" DEMONSTRATORS WITH FLAGS CLOSE-UP OF DEMONSTRATOR'S FACE FLAGS AND SIGNS WIDE OF DEMONSTRATION
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2019 20:48
- Keywords: ally Kurds forces Turkey troops withdrawal YPJ YPG Donald Trump Syria
- Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001B08MUKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Several dozen protesters gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House in Washington on Tuesday (October 8) to demand President Donald Trump reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northeastern Syria, opening the door to a Turkish offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters.
Together they held signs, waved flags and chanted in support of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdish female fights of the Women's Protection Unit (YPJ) who were instrumental in fighting back against Islamic State in Syria.
Sophia Marjanovic, a Native American activist who joined the protest in support of the Kurds, said she feared the withdrawal would lead to a genocide of the Kurdish people.
"Withdrawing support for the Kurds is going to lead to their genocide and that is my concern," said Marjanovic, whose face was painted with a red hand covering her face.
Trump's policy whiplash on Syria started shortly after a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday (October 6) in which he sought U.S. support for Ankara's planned incursion.
Several hours later, the White House issued a late-night statement - which, according to one administration official, was dictated directly by Trump to a senior aide - that said U.S. forces "will no longer be in the immediate area."
This suggested that Turkey could be given free rein to strike Kurdish forces long aligned with Washington in the fight against Islamic State.
(Production: Nathan Frandino, Deborah Gembara) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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