DİYARBAKIR - Amed Labor and Democracy Platform Organizing Committee reacted to the prevention of the peace rally in its statement about on September 1, World Peace Day. The committee called for a mass statement to be held on September 4.

 

Amed Labor and Democracy Platform held a press conference at the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Egitim Sen) Branch No. 1 in Diyarbakır in Yenişehir district regarding the mass press release to be held with the slogan ‘’Time to shout the peace’’ on the occasion of September 1, World Peace Day. At the meeting held by Arin Zümrüt, Diyarbakır Branch Secretary of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), from the organizing committee, and Mehmet Ceylan, a member of TMMOB, the banner ‘’Now is the time to shout the peace’’ was unfurled.

 

‘The meaning of World Peace Day is not understood’

 

Speaking on behalf of the organizing committee of the rally, Arin Zümrüt touched upon the rejection of the permission application they made for the rally. Arin said: ‘’The conflicting days in our region have made it more meaningful to celebrate World Peace Day. As the Democracy Platform, we applied to the necessary authorities to celebrate September 1, World Peace Day. However, the meaning and importance of today is still not understood by some segments. The reasons for the cancellation were cited as the international Diyarbakır Zerzevan Sky Observation Event and the presence of top-ranking state officials in the city due to the congress organized by the party, which has no response at the grassroots.’’

 

‘How can a peace rally create weakness?’

 

Stating that the reasoned decision regarding the cancellation of the rally was made on August 31, Arin said: ‘’We accept such a decision at such a time as a scenario prepared to put an obstacle in front of our rally, and we ask: With the presence of top-ranking state officials in the city, what kind of weakness is having a peace rally? Are bureaucratic reasons enough to interfere or cancel a rally? In democratic societies, the organizers of the demonstration have the right to freely choose the location and timing of the demonstration, including public streets, avenues and squares, to express their views and convey their messages. If a demonstration is peaceful, there can be no justification for intervention. The Constitution also recognizes and protects the freedom of assembly provided that it does not contain violence. Freedom of peaceful assembly is guaranteed in international conventions as an integral part of freedom of association and expression.’’

 

September 4 call

 

Arin said: ‘’As the Labor and Democracy Platform and city components, we will again call for peace on September 4th.” She continued: ‘’This is our democratic legal right. We want to express that the decision to cancel the rally is not correct, and the longing for peace and the voice of the society should not be silenced.’’

Speaking afterwards, Mehmet Ceylan invited the people of Diyarbakır to a mass press release to be held in front of ACZ Plaza on September 4 at 16:00 with the slogan ‘’Time to shout the peace’’.