- Title: Kurds in France condemn Turkish offensive in Syria, cry for action
- Date: 12th October 2019
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) KURDISH PROTESTERS, MOSTLY IMMIGRANTS FROM TURKEY, HOLDING UP BANNERS AT PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE WOMAN CHANTING "ROJAVA" (TERM USED TO REFER TO AUTONOMOUS ADMINISTRATION OF NORTH AND EAST SYRIA) IN RESPONSE TO CHANTS OF "RESISTANCE" GIRL HOLDING UP PLACARD THAT READS (English) "DEFEND ROJAVA" PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS PROTESTER LISTENING PROTESTER WEARING ARMY UNIFORM, TAKING SELFIE PROTESTER AND CHILD WEARING KURDISH FLAG PROTESTER CHEERING BANNER THAT READS "ERDOGANECH", A PLAY OF WORDS BETWEEN (RECEP TAYYIP) ERDOGAN AND DAECH (ACRONYM FOR ISLAMIC STATE IN ARABIC) (SOUNDBITE) (French) KURD FROM SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY NOW LIVING IN FRANCE, AGRO-DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER LARA BERTHELOT, SAYING: "I think that the Kurds have been left to battle against the terrorists, and they did the job well. Now, it is ethically unacceptable and inhuman to leave them to their fate." PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS, ONE OF WHICH SAYS ERDOGAN=DAESH (ACRONYM FOR ISLAMIC STATE IN ARABIC) PLACARD WITH CARTOON DEPICTING TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN SERVING GRENADES TO ISLAMIC STATE FIGHTER SLEEPING ON HAMMOCK, WITH SLOGAN THAT READS "DAESH=ERDOGAN=TERRORISM" PROTESTERS AT "HUMAN RIGHTS SQUARE" ON TROCADERO PLATFORM, WITH VIEW OF EIFFEL TOWER PROTESTER WITH PLACARD THAT READS (French): "YESTERDAY ARMENIANS, TODAY US (KURDS), TOMORROW YOU" PROTESTERS WITH KURDISH FLAGS PROTESTER HOLDING UP BANNER, KURDISH FLAGS FLYING PROTESTERS ON PLATFORM, EIFFEL TOWER IN BACK PROTESTER LISTENING, FLAG FLAPPING IN WIND (SOUNDBITE) (French) KURDISH FROM SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY, ELECTRICIAN ROGER CELISSIER, SAYING: "There are countries who in theory say, 'yes, we are against the Turkey's invasion, but in practice they are doing nothing. They do nothing, out of fear they will lose their economic interests in the region, when the principal interest, first and foremost, must be humanitarian." (SOUNDBITE) (French) 25-YEAR-OLD KURDISH FROM TURKEY, MOUSSA ANTER, SAYING: "We have been cut loose in the past, we have been left by the coalition. Each time, history repeats itself, unfortunately. It's not the first time that the Kurds have been betrayed. And we've betrayed ourselves. And today, we are here to say, stop, it's enough." SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING PROTESTERS PROTESTERS GATHERED, EIFFEL TOWER IN BACK
- Embargoed: 26th October 2019 15:29
- Keywords: Syria Turkish offensive Turkish military Islamic State France
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0SIWCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Nearly 2,000 Kurds living in France protested in Paris on Saturday (October 12), condemning Turkey's military offensive in northeast Syria, calling it a betrayal against the Kurds.
Kurdish protesters, with supporters from the Jewish and Armenian communities, as well as representatives from Paris city hall and parliament, gathered at the Human Rights Square on the Trocadero platform, facing the Eiffel Tower.
In the afternoon, nearly 2,000 protesters, some bringing their children along, demonstrated at Place de la Republique, waving flags and banners and calling on the international community to stop Turkey's incursion.
Posters depicted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conniving with the hardline militant group Islamic State.
On Tuesday, Turkey began an air and ground offensive into northeastern Syria against Kurdish militia, opening a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war that has raised the prospect of a new humanitarian disaster.
Turkey had been poised to enter northeast Syria since President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops, who have been fighting with Kurdish-led forces against Islamic State, to pull out.
(Production: Michaela Cabrera, Noemie Olive) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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