Socialist Movement organises Solidarity Demonstration for Kurdish Refugees.

“Stop the Deportation of Kurdish Refugees from Greek Cyprus”

Last Friday, the Socialist Movement Pakistan (CWI in Pakistan) organised a solidarity demonstration in Lahore for the Kurdish refugees that are fighting for their asylum in Greek Cyprus. Fifty five trade union leaders and SMP members participated in the demonstration. The demonstration was organised in accordance with the call of the CWI for an international day of action. Representatives of the 13 largest public sector unions were also present in the demonstration including Railways, Telecom, Postal workers, Teachers, Water and power, Banks and Municipal unions.

The participants strongly condemned the planned deportation of Kurdish refugees, including whole families. They also shouted slogans against the arrests and harassment of refugees at the hands of the Cyprus police. They demanded immediate asylum for all the Kurdish refugees.

The SMP has also issued an appeal to trade unions, civil society organisations, human rights organisations and political parties to condemn the planned deportations and to demand asylum for the Kurdish refugees. We have also raised this issue in the national press and continue to issue press releases to highlight the issue. The SMP has planned more demonstrations, across the country, in the next week. We have also sent a protest letter to the Greek embassy in Islamabad. The SMP delegation will visit the Greek embassy in the next couple of days, to protest the actions of Cyprus government.

All the demonstrators pledged their full support for the Kurdish refugees and announced they would raise this issue in their unions and workplaces. The local press was present at the demonstration to cover the event.

• These were our demands:
• Stop the deportations!
• Asylum for all the Kurdish refugees!
• Stop arrests and harassment of Kurdish families!
• Respect the basic human and democratic rights and stop ill-treatment of refugees!

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