PRESS
RELEASE FROM THE NORTH LONDON GREEN PARTIES:
North London Greens pledge support for Kurdish autonomy
Green Party General Election candidates from six North London constituencies have called for the British Government to
lift the ban on the Kurdistan Workers Party (the PKK) and for the PKK to be removed from the list of banned
‘terrorist’ organisations. Speaking at a meeting of North London’s
Kurdish community with London Green MEP Jean Lambert, candidates agreed that the PKK poses no threat to the people of
Britain. The PKK has never been designated as a terrorist organisation by the
United Nations and most European Union governments have not listed it as a terrorist group. The
British government has taken a particularly harsh stance, which is closer to
that of the US.
‘Kurdish peoples across four Middle Eastern countries have
been striving for self-determination and democracy for many years,’ said Dee
Searle (candidate for Tottenham), who came into direct contact with Kurdish human
rights activists during her years working for Amnesty
International. ‘Their bravery and determination left a lasting impression.’ David
Flint (candidate for Enfield North), who visited Kurdish areas in Turkey last
year, spoke of his positive experiences of Kurdish society.
The meeting, held at the Kurdish Community Centre in Portland
Gardens
in Harringay
last Thursday (2 April), was arranged to discuss Green Party policies for the
General Election. High on the agenda was the threat from Islamic State militants to the
autonomous canton of Kobane in northern Syria, where around 100 Western volunteers - including some
Britons - are fighting as part of the 30,000-strong Kurdish forces. Members of the audience
asked for international military and humanitarian aid to help Kobane’s residents defend themselves from Islamic
State and to rebuild areas that were destroyed by the US-led bombardment that
helped to drive out the militants.
‘Kobane was a city of more than 200,000 people who had to flee for their lives,’ said Michelle
Allison,
of
the Kurdish Community Centre, who chaired the meeting. ‘They are now living
in very bad conditions in refugee camps in Turkey with inadequate food. They
need to be able to return to rebuild Kobane and to be able to defend themselves. They need weapons to protect themselves.’
Gordon Peters (candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green)
applauded the Kurds’ resistance against Islamic State, saying that he admired the people of Kobane for their participative democracy
with a commitment to preserving the environment. Jean Lambert paid tribute to the society of Rojava,
the Kurdish Syrian region, for its emphasis on women’s equality. Heather Finlay (candidate
for Hackney North and Stoke Newington) recalled collaborating locally with
members of the Kurdish community to protect health services. Caroline Russell
(candidate for Islington North) described working with Kurdish people and other community
members on
local traffic issues.
Representatives of the Kurdish Community Centre said their existence
was under threat because the UK Charities Commission frequently accused them –
erroneously – of political activities which contravene charity laws. Charlotte
George (candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch) said this was unfair and
that the Charities Commission needs to do more to address genuinely bogus
charities.
Green Party policies to introduce a living wage of £10 an hour by 2020, create good jobs, ensure fair rents and
secure tenancies in private rented accommodation, build council homes, preserve the NHS and other public services, and tackle climate change
were
warmly received by the meeting. ‘Many Kurdish people support Green policies’, said
Michelle Allison.
…ends
Contacts:-
Dee Searle, PPC for Tottenham, 07504 963053
Gordon Peters, PPC for Hornsey and Wood Green, 7866 770718
PS people in attached pic are, from left to right; Michelle, David, Jean of
course, Charlotte, Gordon, Dee, Heather. Full names and constituencies on p. 2
of PR. Caroline Russell came later and sat on Michelle's right so not visible
in photos of 'platform'. Photo Esra
Turk
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