A Radical Guide is joining with CrimethInc., It’s Going Down, and a coalition of endorsing businesses and organizations, in a call to action for solidarity with Rojava to stop the Turkish invasion.
On October 6, the Trump administration announced it was pulling US troops out of northern Syria, essentially giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a green light to invade Rojava, carry out ethnic cleansing, and forcibly resettle the area.
We are calling for people around the world to engage in protest and/or disruption at Turkish consulates, US government offices, arms manufacturers, and businesses connected with the Turkish government, such as Turkish Airlines.
Why is this important?
First and foremost, we must not remain silent in the face of war, ethnic cleansing, and displacement of people in Rojava and anywhere else in the world. Turkey’s invasion of Rojava sets a new precedent for military aggression, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of egalitarian and feminist experiments like the one in Rojava. It sets the stage for more bloodshed and oppression everywhere around the world, paving the way for ethno-nationalist autocrats like Trump, Erdoğan, Bashar al-Assad, Jair Bolsonaro, and Vladimir Putin to dominate world politics for generations to come.
Our silence is acceptance of this destruction, so our actions are not only important to stop the destruction but they also let the people of Rojava know they are not alone in this fight to protect their lives and homes.
The people of Rojava have also set an example that a better world is possible. Rojava has been on the front lines of fighting ISIS and the front lines of building an ecological society. Based on their own history of struggle and the writings of social ecologist Murray Bookchin, the people of Rojava have developed an anti-state and anti-capitalist way of life. It’s a way of life that values feminism, direct democracy, ecological stewardship, and ethnic, linguistic, and religious pluralism.
These values are part of an international movement as they are in Rojava. Together we can build a better world and it begins when we stand together to protect each other. This call of action can be your first step in creating this world.
Participate in how you can, boycott Turkey, boycott goods and services, take to the streets by organizing and action or joining one in your area (see below), learn more about what is happening in Rojava, and share with others.
“The connection between the market economy, exploitation, destruction of nature, war and migration show what the result is when centralist and hierarchical systems try to subjugate nature. A solution that ignores these relationships, a solution within the existing system, is not possible.”
– Internationalist Commune of Rojava
Roza: Country of Two Rivers
ROZA is a documentary about the Rojava Revolution, with stories of Assyrian, Kurdish, Arabic people. The people are subjected to the ISIS attacks, while they are trying to build a communal system like democratic autonomy. This struggle is not easy in a region like Syria, where the war continues and showing the effects on people’s life.
A Small Key Can Open a Large Door
Between language barriers, cultural barriers, and an international trade embargo, it can be hard to understand what is happening there. It can be hard to understand how to support the people of Rojava in their revolution.
In this short book, scholars and militia fighters alike explore and explain the situation in plain language. They discuss the Rojava principles that bind the region together and they discuss what it means to be in solidarity with those fighting in Rojava. Even beyond that, they discuss what we can learn from the brave women and men of Rojava.
Upcoming Solidarity Events
Friday, October 11
- Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts State House, 2:30 pm—details
- Nashville, TN, Federal Courthouse, 801 Broadway, 2:30 pm—details
- Toronto, ON, 12 pm—details
- Quebec, GC, 6 pm—details
Saturday, October 12
- Knoxville, TN, 11:30 am—details
- Montréal, Canada, 12 pm—details
- Norfolk, VA, 12 pm—details
- Washington, DC, 1 pm—details
- New York, NY, 2 pm—details
- San Fransisco, CA—International Arrivals Terminal at SFO Airport, 3 pm—details
- Rochester, NY, 6 pm—details
Sunday, October 13
- Los Angeles, CA, 12 pm—details
- San Francisco, CA, Union Square, 12 pm—details
- Seattle, WA, 3 pm—details
- Toronto, Canada, 3 pm—details
Sunday, October 20
- Seattle, WA, 2 pm—details
