The Caravan for Humanity is an initiative that, in response to the attacks by HTS, SNA and the Turkish state against the Rojava Revolution in North and East Syria, launched a call to travel from Europe to Rojava. Thus, activists from various countries and by various routes set off to see the Rojava Revolution with their own eyes. The Caravan is a campaign to raise public attention. As was announced at the first press conference of the Caravan: “We are a diverse group of people and organisations from Europe. With the Caravan, we respond to the call from Kurdish organisations and communities in North and East Syria, who are asking for international support and attention.”
This report provides an insight into the journey of the People’s Caravan and shares experiences made along the way. As People’s Bridge, we were part of the Caravan and accompanied the bus and car convoy as far as Greece.For this report, we interviewed various participants in the caravan and share their impressions.
On 21 January 2026, the Caravan project is made public. Under the motto “Tomorrow we will go to Rojava”, internationalists from all over Europe are called upon to join. Two days later, hundreds of internationalists from different countries set off and make their way through Europe via various routes. The first destination is Vienna, from where they will officially depart as a joint Caravan.
In Hanover, a press conference is held on 22 January to kick off. The next day, the North/East Germany route travels via Kassel, Berlin, Leipzig and Munich to Vienna. The second route leads from Cologne via Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Freiburg, where a press conference is held, and Zurich to Vienna. The Southern European route leads from Marseille via Turin, Milan and Padua to Vienna.
Various actions were carried out on the way to Vienna.
From the first day, the Caravan is characterised by courage and hope, as all participants and supporters are aware of the importance of this initiative. In every city passed through, the participants are warmly welcomed and more internationalists join the car convoy at each stop. Finally, the car convoys reach Vienna on the evening of 24 January. The next day, a large rally is held in central Vienna to bid farewell to the Caravan on its way to Kobane.
At the rally, it is made clear: The time to act is now and the Caravan is a form of practical international solidarity. The democratic youth organisation YUNA calls for the youth to unite for Rojava:
“We know that in Rojava the light of hope is being defended, that the women’s revolution is being defended there. We as youth, who stand for a free, democratic and socialist life, know that now is the time to defend Kobane and Rojava together. That means also taking to the streets here, standing against conscription, against German and Austrian arms deliveries to Turkey, against the financing of the new Syrian regime by the EU.”
The socialist youth organisation Young Struggle emphasises the importance of internationalist campaigns: “We are experiencing a moment in which the world is uniting for Kobanê. A moment in which we know that the peoples of Rojava are arming themselves and defending the revolution. […] The spirit of Kobanê lives on, the spirit of resistance lives on. Just as the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail in autumn, today the Caravan sets off to break through the borders imposed on us by the imperialists.”
People’s Bridge emphasises in its contribution the wave of unity of the Kurdish people: “In these days, our people from all parts of Kurdistan have come together to defend the revolution. Rojava is Kurdistan, but in recent days all parts of Kurdistan have become Rojava. We have torn down the fences (of colonialism) in Pirsûs, Nisêbîn and Semalka. We have shown the occupiers that the Kurdish people is not four, but one. From the Kurdish people, from the peoples of the Middle East to Europe: Rojava is our homeland, Rojava is our revolution, our hope, Kobanê is our pride!”
After the rally in Vienna, the car convoy and a bus set off. The Caravan now consists of a group of a hundred internationalists who are determined not to just mourn the current situation in Rojava from afar, but to take direct action. Participants from Germany, France, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Serbia, Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, Austria and Liechtenstein are part of the convoy. Thelong drives through Southeast Europe were not simply endured. Rather, lively political discussions took place, interviews were conducted, songs were sung together and new acquaintances were made.
Internationalists from various activities and organisations are part of the Caravan, including the “Medical Visibility Caravan”, which has set itself the task of raising public awareness about the situation of the health system and the situation of injured and sick people, especially in Kobanê. We speak with Jakob Rihn, who as a physiotherapist has worked with the health committee of the self-administration and was himself wounded in 2025 during the defence of the Tişrîn Dam. He and Lea Bunse, also injured by a drone attack in Tişrîn, represent the Medical Visibility Team. Jakob is impressed by how, in Rojava, under military attacks and ongoing economic embargo, an attempt is being made to build a health system free of charge for patients.
Jakob has himself experienced the war crimes being committed in Rojava. However, he has also seen how the people there resist daily despite these circumstances. He says: “I feel obligated to make a contribution to breaking the deafening silence about the war crimes committed by HTS, Turkey or IS.” He is impressed by how many people have set off in a short time to stand by the people in Kobanê.
We also meet Patrick, a film student from England, who is documenting the Caravan. He joins the People’s Caravan with the following words: “We win when we connect our struggles and learn from each other; when we are ready to fight for the lives of our comrades and friends in all parts of the world; when we stand against fascism in defence of democratic society, for the liberation of women, for multi-ethnic pluralism, for the earth itself.”
On the evening of 25 January, the Caravan reaches Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. There, the participants are warmly welcomed by local Kurds and internationalists.
26 January marks the day when, in 2015, the fighters of the YPG/YPJ liberated the city of Kobanê after weeks of siege. From this day on, the so-called IS is gradually driven out of North and East Syria. This anniversary is therefore of great significance for the caravan. The young socialist Lorena, a participant in the Caravan, describes the situation in Kobanê today and says that the city has been under siege again for several days. The siege by HTS, SNA and Turkey has already led in January to hundreds of thousands of people being cut off from electricity, drinking water supply and medical goods. In the icy cold, several children have already died and the situation remains acute to this day.
Jakob tells us later that the situation on the ground is still extremely tense. He welcomes the fact that a delegation from the UN organisations UNICEF and WFP has now visited Kobanê, but cannot understand why local health structures such as the Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor a Kurd) are not allowed to provide aid. He calls for support for these local structures in particular and emphasises that health is a human right.
On the morning before continuing the journey, a press conference is held in Belgrade, where the significance of the victory in Kobanê is discussed in particular.
From the Young Struggle Statement: “Rojava is an issue for the whole world. In times when capitalism wants to destroy the hope and future of the youth, Rojava is a beacon of our hope.”
People’s Bridge says: “In the Middle East, where circumstances are escalating and war is a constant reality, Rojava is the revolution of the oppressed. Today, 26 January, is the day of victory, not just a victory for the Kurds but a victory for the oppressed worldwide – we have defeated IS and today we will defeat the fascist gangs.”
On the evening of the same day, the Caravan finally reaches the Greek city of Thessaloniki. This is to be the last stop before the Turkish border. Another press conference takes place in the evening in a cultural centre. At this press conference, comrades from the youth organisation YUNA, the Network against Femicides, People’s Bridge, an ecology activist from Italy and a comrade from Colombia speak.
In Thessaloniki, the border crossing is getting closer. A whole day is spent making the necessary preparations.In the evening, a demonstration with 150 people is organised through the city centre. Various local organisations, the Kurdish community and the Caravan take to the streets together for Rojava.
We speak with the young student Jona. He is organised in “Gemeinsam Kämpfen” (“Fight together”), a communist group in Freiburg, and tells us that he could no longer bear to watch the constant attacks on Rojava from afar. He spoke with many Kurds who are not allowed to enter Turkey or could not participate in the Caravan for other reasons. So he set off himself – out of the conviction that a revolution like Rojava, which is carried by society and has defeated IS, must be defended.
Lorena says that in the current situation she saw it as a political necessity to provide practical solidarity and therefore joined the project. She tells how she watched videos from Rojava together with comrades. The video of the immortal Kurdish fighter Deniz Çiya, whose body was thrown from a house by jihadist militias, particularly affected them. Also, the video in which a jihadist fighter poses with the severed braid of a Kurdish woman went through the media at that time. Lorena shares her thoughts on the situation. She says that in the current situation, it is secondary whether you pass your exams at university or lose your job. She emphasizes that the Rojava Revolution has become a revolution for all of us and, accordingly, requires all of us to take new steps and overcome our own limitations.
The Border Crossing into Turkey
The next day, the People’s Caravan was to cross the border into Turkey. Early in the morning, a car convoy sets off for the Turkish border. With high morale, flags and music, the cars drive up to the border. However, the Greek border guard does not let the Caravan cross and additionally detains them for hours. After a long wait, the group has to return to Thessaloniki. However, this is not the end of the Caravan.
For at the same time as the car convoy and the bus, the “invisible Caravan” sets off for Turkey. Thus, 29 activists are able to enter unnoticed and continue the mission of the Caravan. Upon arrival in Istanbul, this group is warmly received by the pro-Kurdish opposition party DEM. The next day, the delegation travels on to North Kurdistan to the border with Rojava. They reach the city of Pirsûs (turkish: Suruç), a city of about 100,000 inhabitants, a foot march away from the Syrian border. The city of Kobanê in the Syrian-occupied part of Kurdistan can be seen from this part of the border. Upon arrival in Pirsûs, the delegation is also received with joy and solidarity by the local DEM party and the residents of the city.
Pictures of the protest and press statement in Pirsûs
Already upon the arrival of the bus, the Turkish police are waiting for the internationalists. In recent days, the entire border region has been sealed off and heavily armed. The Turkish state wants to prevent the unity of the Kurdish people and border crossings by all means. Tanks and a lot of soldiers have been positioned at the border. No border crossing is to be possible. In their statement, the delegation makes clear why they have come to Pirsûs:
“Today we stand here as part of the internationalist Caravan for the defence of humanity. A week ago, we set off from fourteen different countries with over a hundred people to stand by the side of the people with whom we share a common conviction. We are trying to draw attention to the recent attacks on North and East Syria. We stand here together with our Kurdish sisters and brothers, who have welcomed us with all their warmth and devotion.
The delegation recalls the Pirsûs massacre: “This is the city where eleven years ago Daesh (IS) massacred thirty-three young people who were part of the campaign to rebuild Kobanê, called by the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations in Turkey [SGDF]. These young people were full of hope for peace in Kurdistan and Turkey. They were hopeful and firmly convinced that borders like the one we are at right now are inhuman and that our solidarity and connectedness will prevail. Today we hold with great respect to the same convictions that they upheld.”
Afterwards, Lorena tells us how impressive it was for her to be in Pirsûs. “Being in the same city with the delegation has above all brought the will of that 2015 delegation to my mind.” She tells resolutely that practical solidarity is a testimony that people do not let themselves be stopped by the borders and repressions of states in their togetherness. On this day, our delegation participates in the protests against the closed border and the sealed-off city of Pirsûs. The participants report that the unity of the Kurdish people and the deep solidarity with Rojava was palpable on the street.
Lorena and Jona tell us later that on the journey they met numerous people who accompanied them along the way. They exchanged with members of the DEM party and the so-called Peace Mothers, who have been taking to the streets for weeks for Rojava and the freedom of the Kurdish people. Lorena says: “To see how people in a fascist state maintain the struggle for a better life with such tenacity has become a special source of strength for many of us.”
In Pirsûs, the fascist Turkish state is palpably present on every street corner and obviously out to arrest the internationalists. After the protest, the delegation visits the DEM party office. Upon departure, the police surround the bus and arrest the Caravan. From here, there is no more contact with the activists. We learn later that the activists of the Caravan were taken to Istanbul and held there in deportation custody. Several of them experienced violence and mistreatment. Jona reports later that in Turkish custody he was able to draw strength from the fighting spirit of the people on the ground. He is convinced that this spirit and conviction were important to get through these days well, in the face of a hate-filled police. After 12 hours in deportation custody and a total of two days in police custody, the Caravan was put in straitjackets on passenger planes and deported under the supervision of Turkish police. One person loses consciousness in the straitjacket, the police seem not to care. No help is organised.Only upon landing in Germany and Austria are the activists told by the flight staff where they are. For all activists were arbitrarily deported to different cities in without being informed. At the German airport, the participants are interrogated again by the German Federal Police, as if they comitted crimes.
Already upon arrival at the airport, all participants of the Caravan make clear that they will continue the struggle for a free Rojava and that their will is unbroken. Thus, a spokeswoman from YUNA announced: “We were beaten. I saw red faces, people who could no longer walk. We will continue to fight […] for a free Kobanê, for Rojava.”
A young woman explains on behalf of Young Struggle: “We can say that despite all the repression we experienced, despite all the violence: The fascist state could not break our will.”
Other activists explain: “We spent two days and one night in custody. […] Especially women and queer people experienced a lot of violence, but our resistance is stronger and we stand together!”
Youth Delegation to Amed
The Caravan that made its way to Rojava by car was not the only delegation. A delegation of democratic youth organisations flew to Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) in the same period and announced their arrival on 25 January. Involved in this delegation of the People’s Caravan were the Föderation Klassenkämpferischer Organisationen [Federation of Class-Struggling Organisations] (FKO), the democratic youth organisation YUNA, Kommunistischer Aufbau [Communist Construction] (KA), Linksjugend [‘solid] and journalists from Perspektive Online, Jugendinfo and Druck.
At their first press conference in Amed, the delegation made clear why they had undertaken this journey:
“All Western countries bear co-responsibility for the massacres currently being committed in the self-administered region of North and East Syria. This includes Germany. That is why we are here. Internationalism as the basis for the struggle for a free life worldwide is not just a phrase, but a practice for which we must take responsibility. As young people from Germany, we see it as our responsibility to defend democratic self-organisation. Rojava is the revolution of our time.”
The delegation participated in various protests on the ground and reported both on the repressions of the Turkish state and on the resistance of the Kurdish people. They took part in a protest in Amed, where demonstrations were banned and the police arrested countless young people. Subsequently, the internationalists travelled to Nisêbîn (tr. Nusaybin) on the border with Rojava. On the onward journey to Mêrdîn (tr. Mardin), the delegation was finally arrested on their fifth day of travel. When the internationalists were handed over to the migration authorities, there was initially no contact with the lawyers.
When the delegation was put on the plane and made the other passengers aware of the arrest, security personnel took them off again. One day later, they were deported to Germany.
Despite repression, the Kurdish people flooded the streets in Northern Kurdistan.
We ask two participants of the delegation about their motivation and impressions. Paula is organised in the FKO and Tanja travelled as a journalist for the newspaper and news agency Perspektive.
They tell us that the Rojava Revolution shows them that a revolution is possible even in today’s times. As revolutionary women, the women’s revolution is of central importance to them. “Women today organise society, defend the achievements also militarily, have defeated IS, build structures, teach, lead. This development is not only a historical break for the Middle East, it radiates worldwide.”
They make clear that as proletarian internationalists, they see it as their task to connect the struggles in Germany with struggles of their class worldwide. Even if their contribution, as they themselves say, was only a modest one, they wanted to make a concrete contribution to the defence of the revolution. In doing so, they left behind personal inhibitions, individualistic, bourgeois convenience and fears. We ask them what the two took away from the journey. They reply that they experienced a lot of connectedness and appreciation and met wonderful people. People who, despite the daily danger of arrest and torture, organise, resist and continue to fight for liberation. The direct significance of solidarity has also become very clear to them. We have clearly seen that even small gestures can have political impact and give hope and strength. We carry the experienced connectedness back to Germany, as well as the determination and courage of those who defend their achievements under massive violence. The societal handling of the fallen of the Kurdish liberation struggle moved them greatly. The two internationalists describe that the commitment of these people is understood as a conscious decision for a liberated society.
“Their names, stories and attitudes live on in the collective memory and in the struggles. They are role models and expressions of determination, sense of responsibility and devotion for the liberation of all.”
We will not stay silent
A few days after arrival, the Caravan made known in press releases and statements what the participants experienced in custody. Thus, an activist reported at the press conference in Göttingen:
“For us, the hatred of the police officers was clearly palpable – the matter-of-factness with which they exercised violence, and the visible pleasure in hurting and humiliating us. During custody, we were subjected to severe mistreatment: Strip searches, beatings, kicks, psychological violence. Some of us were pushed down stairs. Some spent hours in straitjackets and were deported in them. The officers threatened to lock up individual friends for years or kill them. After our deportation, doctors diagnosed, among other things, concussions, haematomas and bruises.”
Participants in the caravan describe their experiences in Göttingen, February 10
One day later, the next press conference took place in Frankfurt:
“As journalists, doctors, internationalists, teachers and international and humanitarian organisations, we set off from different routes […] via Turkey to the border with Kobanê. We travelled as People’s Caravan with over 150 participants through Europe and held numerous press conferences along our way to draw attention to the current situation in Rojava/the Autonomous Administration.”
Content Warning: In the following sections, physical and sexualised violence is described explicitly. The part ends at the subheading “Political Struggle in a Fascist State”
In their statement, the activists who made it to Turkey reported on the violence and repressions experienced by the Turkish state:
“People who were assumed to be Kurdish due to their appearance were urged to speak Turkish. We were denied water and toilet access. Only through persistent demanding could we obtain these things.
We were shouted at, beaten, choked and kicked. When we were brought to the cells in small groups, there was a larger physical confrontation because participants refused to go into the cells without resistance. One person was pulled out of the group and 7-8 men kicked her while she was on the ground. The policemen knelt on her back and neck, repeatedly pulled her head up by the hair and slammed it violently on the ground. She lost consciousness for a short time. Meanwhile, her hands were tied behind her back with cable ties and she was dragged into the cell. While she was barely responsive, a man kicked her in the face and they disappeared from the cell. Others of us were also thrown to the ground, beaten and had their hands tied.”
In many countries of the world, sexualised violence in custody by the police is repeatedly reported, which is experienced especially by political women and LGBTI+. The participants of the Caravan also report that, in addition to physical violence, they experienced sexualised violence.
Several people were forced intü straightjackettransport during deportation. A young internationalist was alone with the police in a room when a straightjacket was fitted to her. Four officers knelt around her, one on her body. The men opened her trousers and grabbed between her legs and her chest. Meanwhile, they threatened to rape and kill her. She was pulled by the hair and beaten.
She explains this later as follows: “I am not making this statement for myself. Because these experiences are not individual. […] I know that my experiences are only a fraction of what political prisoners are confronted with every day. […] The Turkish state is trying by all means to maintain the patriarchal system. […] the women who take to the streets after femicides, […] who attack the fascist family policy and defend the women’s revolution in Rojava are a special threat to this system. As women, it is more than ever the time to defend this revolution and to carry the voices of all women who are currently fighting in Rojava to the streets of Europe and the world!”
The youth delegation that was in Amed also reports violence and harassment. The braids that the women wore were ripped out by the police and they spat in their hair. Even braided hair, which over the weeks became a symbol of women’s resistance, seemed to provoke the fascist state. They disregarded, just like the HTS and IS fighters in Syria, the self-determination of women. When the delegation was taken off the plane again and arrested, the officers beat an internationalist unconscious. They played military music and said “Welcome to Türkiye”. Police showed the Hitler salute and forced the delegation to watch videos of mutilated fighters of the self-defence units in Rojava.
Political Struggle in a Fascist State
According to the Turkish authorities, the expulsion was justified by the expired stay. However, the Caravan had only entered two days earlier. The youth delegation was not given any reason at all. It is obvious that the fascist Turkish state is desperately trying to suppress the resistance of the Kurdish people and international solidarity.
What happened to the participants of the Caravan in the short time in custody is only a fraction of what Kurdish and non-Kurdish political prisoners experience every day in custody. Even in times when the Turkish state presents itself as reconciliatory towards the Kurdish people, it tolerates not a fraction of Kurdish autonomy. The wave of Kurdish unity and the general mobilisation that broke out since the beginning of the attacks have proven the revolutionary striking power of the Kurdish people. This clearly contradicts the Turkish nationalist-fascist ideology under the slogan “One state, one nation, one language, one flag, one homeland”. At the same time as the protests and delegations to Bakûr and Rojava, the Turkish state supports the current attacks on North and East Syria financially, logistically and ideologically and wants to silence people who oppose the attacks on Rojava.
This can be seen in the military presence in North Kurdistan, the arrest of the Caravan and not least in the strong repressions against progressive forces. On 3 February, just two days after the deportations, the Turkish state carried out a police operation against socialist and democratic organisations and arrested 96 revolutionaries, politicians, journalists and artists.
Although the participants of the Caravan are all free again, they themselves emphasise that hundreds of thousands of prisoners are sitting in Turkish custody, some for years. Several thousand people were arrested alone during the protests of the last weeks. The response to this violence and repression lies in political organisation, the participants announce.
Hope Stands Upright and the Struggle Continues
The desperate attempts of the Turkish state to break the resistance do not work. Lorena tells us that the journey has strengthened all participants in their will and in the necessity to defend the revolution at a new level. Through the conversations, the actions and the experienced repressions, they have returned to Europe with an even greater will to make solidarity practical here too.
And the Caravan was not over here either. On 30 January, it was announced that, inspired by the Caravan, a “Rojava Delegation for Humanity” from Switzerland had set off for Rojava. It reported on the humanitarian and political situation on the ground and did press work, which the established media houses have not done to this day. Thus, the internationalist delegation met on the ground with various representatives of the self-administration such as the women’s organisation Kongra Star and also co-president of the Executive Council of the self-administration Ilham Ehmed.
With the experiences and acquaintances from the journey, all activists of the Caravan will continue to do political work for the defence of Rojava with even higher morale and discipline.
Today, after the agreement of 29 January, the situation in Syria is uncertain. One thing remains clear: Defending the achievements of the Rojava Revolution here and now requires work and spirit of sacrifice. Carrying the unity of the peoples and the women’s revolution to the streets of Europe remains our task.
We end our report with concluding words from the courageous internationalists who, in a time full of uncertainty and threat, decided to take a practical step forward.
Jona explains that the time in deportation custody turned out differently than he himself expected. He came out stronger and all the more determined to continue the struggle with the Kurdish movement. He explains:
“Solidarity is what connects us and the oppression under which Rojava suffers, the war under which Rojava suffers, is a war that the German state also wages. That also means that we must be resistant here in Germany and must fight against the war in Rojava.”
Patrick: “I want to tell the world that we can do this. That the fire in our hearts becomes visible through our eyes, that standing shoulder to shoulder with our hevals in good times and bad creates a bond of mutual trust that enables deeper cooperation and opens spiral and exponential paths for the connections of international solidarity that we forge to weave a network of relationships that enables globally coordinated visions, strategies and actions.”
Lorena: “To take action today for the defence of the achievements of the Rojava Revolution and the fighting women on the ground is more urgent than ever. Accordingly, the appeal is directed to all of us to stand up for the freedom of political prisoners and to keep the revolution alive.”
Tanja and Paula: “Due to the German-Turkish cooperation, the repression here in the country and the attacks on the revolutionary achievements, we as revolutionaries living in Germany have a special responsibility. If we do justice to this responsibility here and confront German imperialism with its machinations, that is direct support for the revolution in Rojava.
And the solidarity that we organise here is also perceived by people in Bakûr and Rojava – via social media, via reports, via Kurdish media. Every demonstration, every action, every public positioning sends the signal and strengthens morale, hope and the feeling of not being alone.
The revolution in Rojava is our revolution, let us defend it.”
People’s Bridge, 20.2.2026
