With the ‘Caravan for the Defense of Humanity’, more than one hundred people from over ten European countries are expressing solidarity with the population of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). For weeks, the region has been under attack by the Islamist transitional government in Damascus, supported by the Turkish military. Traveling along several routes across Europe, the Caravan has reached Thessaloniki.

Today, participants plan to enter Turkey and continue onward to the Syrian-Turkish border, near the city of Kobane. There, they aim to support the local population in resisting the ongoing siege and to draw attention to the severe humanitarian situation on the ground.

☆ قتل الزهور لن يؤخر الربيع ☆

'Killing the flowers will not delay spring'

from the Rojava Information Center's Instagram: “RIC interviewed civilians taking up the call for general mobilization.”

For anyone seeing this who doesn't know the context: Syria is gearing up to do a genocide on, amongst other groups, the Kurdish people, from whom the Rojava Revolution was born in North East Syria. This revolution has been working to create a grassroots democratic alternative to capitalism and the nation-state which centers women, youth, ethnic minorities, & nature, in the form of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North East Syria (DAANES).

The city of Kobanê is currently under siege, the supply of bread and fuel has been cut off, and they are running out of medicine. There are reports of massacres of civilians including children being done by groups aligned with the Syrian government. Several babies have died due to freezing temperatures because they've cut access to power. And this is just in the past week or so.

Here's an article that explains the political context behind these attacks, & this post has a ton of links on Rojava, DAANES, the ideology behind the revolution, etc. to educate yourself. If you have money for humanitarian aid, donate to the Kurdish Red Crescent here. February 1 is World Rojava Solidarity Day so if you can, respond to the Global Call for Solidarity and organize a protest in defense of Rojava.

happy birthday to @ahollowgrave from the twins! thank you so much for these birthday prompts and letting us celebrate with you. we all love you so very much, pigeon! may your day be as special as you are. nip-nops after the break ↓

The Gently Mad Book Shop, Edinburgh, Scotland.