Nearly 10,000 Attend Peaceful Kurdish Protest in Cologne for Öcalan’s Release
On Saturday, nearly 10,000 demonstrators gathered in Cologne to protest for the release of Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the banned PKK, and other imprisoned members. The demonstration, organized by the Congress of the Kurdish Democratic Society in Europe, stemmed from recent developments in Turkey, where the government proposed Öcalan’s release contingent on the PKK renouncing violence. The peaceful protest caused significant traffic disruptions but was largely orderly, following prior police preparations aimed at preventing conflict. Some incidents occurred during the march, but overall tensions remained low, with a final police assessment expected Sunday.