- Title: Pro-Kurdish supporters march in Greece against arrests in Turkey
- Date: 5th November 2016
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRO-KURDISH SUPPORTERS MARCHING, CHANTING AND CARRYING KURDISH FLAGS AND PLACARDS DEPICTING TWO ARRESTED LEADERS OF THE PEOPLES' DEMOCRATIC PARTY (HDP), SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS AND FIGEN YUKSEKDAG PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING 'TERRORIST ERDOGAN' VARIOUS OF WOMEN MARCHING AND CHANTING PROTESTERS SITTING DOWN IN STREET VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SITTING AND CHANTING: (Greek) 'FREEDOM TO KURDISTAN' (SOUNDBITE) (English) 23-YEAR-OLD KURDISH PROTESTER LIVING IN GREECE, LEVENT FADL, SAYING: "We are here to protest Turkish government because they took Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of HDP party to prison. For that we are all Kurdish in Greece, we are here (to) protest that. We don't want that, we want freedom for Selahattin Demirtas." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SYRIAN KURDISH DEMOCRATIC UNION PARTY (PYD), IBRAHEM MUSLEM, SAYING: "We want to send a message to the world, this is not just an attack against the Kurdish people and the HDP party, it is an attack against democracy and humanity around the world." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING ON STREET OUTSIDE TURKISH EMBASSY / POLICE VAN BLOCKING THE WAY VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS DANCING AND CHANTING (Greek) 'FREEDOM TO KURDISTAN' NEAR POLICE VANS PROTESTERS CARRYING AND WAVING LARGE KURDISH FLAG VARIOUS OF MAN HOLDING FLAG AND MAKING VICTORY SIGN
- Embargoed: 20th November 2016 16:40
- Keywords: Turkey arrests Greece Kurds protest Athens
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- City: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015763DC7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: About 1,000 Kurds and pro-Kurdish supporters on Saturday (November 5) marched to the Turkish embassy in Athens, chanting "Terrorist Erdogan!" to protest against the detention of Kurdish leaders in Turkey.
The leaders of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) were jailed pending trial on Friday (November 4) as part of a terrorism investigation, drawing condemnation in the West of a crackdown on dissent under Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
In Athens, demonstrators unfurled large Kurdish flags and held up placards depicting HDP co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag.
The representative of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Greece, Ibrahem Muslem, said the arrests were "an attack against democracy and humanity around the world."
"We want freedom for Selahattin Demirtas," said another protester, 23-year-old Levent.
Police in riot gear blocked the demonstrators, who danced and chanted by the police vans, from reaching the embassy.
On Saturday, Turkish authorities ordered the formal arrest of nine staff members of a leading opposition newspaper and detained more pro-Kurdish officials.
More than 110,000 officials, including judges, teachers, police and civil servants, have been detained or suspended following a failed coup in July. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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