More suckers falling for the 'anarchist','feminist', 'democratic' messaging about these Kurdish separatists. No mention of problematic things like their occupation of non-Kurdish regions, their use of allegedly coerced child soldiers, and their sponsorship by the US and the west to destabilise Syria. Now LWA are crying about their persecution at the hands of the al-qaeda regime - well wtf did you think was going to happen??
LWA STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF ROJAVA 23/01/2026 The Landworkers’ Alliance stands in firm solidarity with the people of Rojava, and condemns the ongoing genocidal assaults and invasions of their territories by the Syrian Transitional Government (STG). We loudly condemn the actions of the STG and its supporters which not only threaten the internationalist Kurdish resistance but the existence of the Kurdish people themselves.
Rojava: a struggle for ecology, women’s liberation and grassroots democracy
Rojava, or Western Kurdistan, is also known as the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), and is one of four territories that make up Kurdistan. The DAANES has acted as a form of democratic self-government throughout the Syrian Civil War, and is seeking to maintain a degree of political and military autonomy within the newly established national Syrian government. For this, the Syrian Transitional Government is seeking to destroy them.
Despite a nominal ceasefire, the Syrian Transitional Government – led by Al-Sharaa, the leader of al-Qaeda offshoot Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – continues their campaign of massacres and ethnic cleansing against religious and ethnic minorities in Syria. According to the Rojava Information Centre, DAANES has lost 80% of its territory to the STG in the past two weeks.
Rojava has been a focal point for democratic organising in the region, centred on women’s rights, workers’ co-ops, ecological sustainability and multi-ethnic autonomy (see this LWA blog post from 2021 for further reading). For these reasons, they have been the target of attacks not only recently from the STG, but also historically from the Islamic State / ISIS, as well as the Turkish government who view Rojava as a threat to their national security.
Attacks on food sovereignty
Last February LWA members Jyoti Fernandes and Amu Gib visited Rojava and were hosted by Kongra Star (a confederation of women’s organisations in the region) as independent international humanitarian observers to witness and document the food security threats faced by DAANES in their work towards food sovereignty. As part of the visit they met with farmers and representatives from the autonomous administration from the village level to state level governance.
During their trip they recorded evidence of deliberate attacks on food production by the Turkish-backed forces, including bombing of a cheese factory (where women had lost their lives and other experienced long term ringing in their ears and PTSD), bombing near polytunnels, fruit and nut trees cut down and destroyed, and reports of aerial bombing of wheat crops when they were ready for harvest. There were also ongoing attacks on Tishrin dam, which provides the region with irrigation water. After the visit, Jyoti presented this information to UN officials within the Food and Agriculture organisation to warn of imminent escalation of food insecurity.
“Women are the centre of the governance system in Rojava, which is centred in democracy, ecology and beauty. They have been developing agricultural production capacity for their territory by establishing co-operatives and starting to learn agroecological farming methods so they could reduce their dependence on imported fertilisers, and were also bringing back traditional Kurdish seeds and craft.”
The people of Rojava have built radical forms of land-based living for the past 15 years, and the multi-frontal assaults on their lands and existence are threats to agroecology, sovereignty and liberation everywhere. People in Rojava are saying that if the this new assault by the Syrian Transitional Government is successful, it would destroy the possibility of agroecology in the region, and instead lead to a violent, fascist occupation.
Call to action
We call on anyone moved by the land-based revolution in Rojava to organise and attend demonstrations in your area (solidarity demos and actions in the UK are listed on https://kurdistansolidarity.net/events/), publicise public statements condemning the actions of the STG, donate to the Kurdish Red Crescent (https://heyvasor.com/en/donation/) and keep up to date with the latest news from reliable news sources such as The Amargi and @rojavaic on Instagram/x.com.
There is currently a call to organise demonstrations this weekend (24th and 25th January), as well as a National Emergency Demonstration taking place in Trafalgar Square, London on Sunday January 25th. If you organise a demonstration, banner drop, or local action – please take photos and send to hello@kurdistansolidarity.net to be shared with friends in Rojava.
We stand firmly with the people of Rojava in their fight for self-determination and freedom to live on their lands. Their fight is our fight too.
Photos of farmers and members of the Kongra Star confederation in Rojava (taken by LWA members Jyoti Fernandes and Amu Gib during their trip last year) Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
Note the photo at the bottom of the page of what appear to be seed mixes presumably being sold to support the YPG, complete with insignia and what looks like a drawing of a memorialised soldier:
Eva Bartlett article on 'Rojava' and the Kurdish nationalist background:
Today marks the first anniversary of the fall of the authoritarian Assad regime, which ruled Syria with absolute centralized control for nearly fifty-four years—a regime that transformed the state into a comprehensive instrument of repression, confiscated the will of the people, tightened its grip over all institutions, suppressed every form of pluralism and self-organization, and drove the country into political, social, and economic collapse. The Syrian people—women and men from all components—paid an enormous price in the blood of martyrs, arrests, displacement, forced migration, and the loss of basic means of life. Through these sacrifices, they affirmed that freedom and dignity are not gifts but the fruit of a long and continuous struggle.
As Kongra Star, as we recall these immense sacrifices, we reaffirm that the revolution was not a superficial change, nor a replacement of one form of tyranny with another, but a project to build a democratic, pluralistic, decentralized Syria—one grounded in the freedom of women, the respect for the will of all components, the preservation of human dignity, and the consolidation of social justice. This revolution redefined the relationship between authority and society and affirmed that true democracy requires inclusive participation, ongoing accountability, and a steadfast commitment to fundamental human principles.
However, the current performance of the transitional government during the past year has not risen to the level of the Syrian people’s aspirations, nor to the magnitude of the sacrifices made. Policies continued to operate within the mentality of “whoever liberates decides,” excluding pathways of comprehensive national dialogue, ignoring the participation of women in decision-making, and failing to take serious steps to guarantee their protection and rights—even though women were the primary driving force of the revolution and the bearers of the vision for democratic change and transformation. A new Syria cannot be built through exclusion, nor through perpetuating the centralization that destroyed the country, nor by ignoring the demands of society and its true forces that endured throughout the years of war. Nor can it be built without recognizing the decisive role of the women’s movement, which has proven its ability to organize, defend, and present an advanced democratic model in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. The responsibility of building a democratic Syria requires political courage, a serious review of all current policies, and a genuine willingness to listen to the voice of the people—especially the voice of women who led the path of liberation. Unity and stability can only be achieved through real democracy and through acknowledging that women’s freedom is the cornerstone of any democratic transformation. In conclusion, we renew our pledge to our people and to the women of Syria to continue the struggle and to defend the project of freedom, justice, and equality, and to work with all democratic forces to build a homeland worthy of the sacrifices of the martyrs and the hopes of the coming generations.
nmThe last working-class hero in England. Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016 Kira the cat, ? ? 2010 - 3 August 2018 Jasper the Ruffian cat ??? - 4 November 2021 Georgina the cat ???-4 December 2025
Re: Anarchists don't pro[s]titute themselves to statist thugs....nm
nmThe last working-class hero in England. Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016 Kira the cat, ? ? 2010 - 3 August 2018 Jasper the Ruffian cat ??? - 4 November 2021 Georgina the cat ???-4 December 2025
on February 11, 2026, 5:20 pm