From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> NATO democracy: "One Kurdish protestor from the Netherlands was arrested when he wrapped himself in te flag of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which is banned in Germany." May 12, 2001 Kurd Rally in Germany Draws 35,000 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Some 35,000 people took part in a pro-Kurdish march Saturday in western Germany, police said, demanding dialogue with Turkey about its huge Kurd population. The demonstration in the city of Dortmund passed without serious incidents, according to police. One Kurdish protester from the Netherlands was arrested when he wrapped himself in the flag of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, which is banned in Germany. Germany has a large population of Kurdish and Turkish immigrants The protesters carried banners urging ''peace in Kurdistan -- dialogue now'' and calling for the release of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. Turkey does not recognize its 12 million Kurds as a minority and views Kurdish cultural identity as a threat to the Turkish state. Turkish troops have fought a 15-year war against Kurdish rebels in the country's southeast. Some 37,000 people have died as a result of the conflict. Ocalan, who led the PKK during that 15-year war, was returned to Turkey for trial after his arrest in Kenya in February 1999, and was sentenced to death for treason and separatism in June 1999. ? _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
