On 04 Apr, 2019 Senior trade unionist and co-chair of the Freedom for Ocalan committee, Christine Blower, has written to Margaret Owen OBE to express her solidarity with Margaret’s hunger strike.
Margaret, at time of writing, is on a week-long hunger strike to raise awareness of the wave of irreversible hunger strikes taking place internationally. The hunger strikers are protesting Turkey’s continued and illegal isolation of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan who is now in his 20th year of extreme isolation on Imrali Island.
The hunger strikers demands to end Öcalans isolation are humane and a legal requirement under Turkish and international law and in keeping with the UN recognised ‘Mandela rules’
Margaret Owen has joined three members of the Kurdish community Ali Poyraz, Nahide Zengin and Mehmet Yilmaz at the Kurdish Community Centre in Harringay, London.
How can you help the campaign?
With growing support and international solidarity in the trade union movement, devolved governments and the Parliamentary Labour Party the Freedom for Ocalan campaign is calling on trade unionists and activists to support the many local campaigns now running throughout the UK and Europe.
If you’re a member of a trade union we ask that you support us by requesting your branch, regional or national trade union affiliate now.
If you want to support the Scottish Solidarity with Kurdistan letter writing campaign to the CPT you can support that here.
Members of political parties able to pass motions at a branch or constituency level, particularly Labour members can use this model motion.
Residents in London who wish to add their voice to the growing pressure on the London Assembly and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, asking them to add their weight to the calls for the European Council to instruct the CPT to investigate, could write a letter to their representative using this model.
Demos in your area
Supporters of the campaign in Wales, encouraged by the work the Welsh Assembly are invited to join a solidarity march planned for Cardiff on Sunday 7th of April with local trade unions including Unite Wales Youth,joining local activists at 11.45am on Wellfield Road, Roath.
Activists in London and the South East are invited to join the Kurdistan Students Union demonstration outside 10 Downing Street, at 14.00 on Saturday April 13th.
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