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Toronto Star, Ontario, Canada
Oct 11 2014
Hundreds demonstrate in Toronto in support of Syrian town battling Islamic State
Kurdish community pleads for safe passage for Kobani's embattled
residents to nearby Turkey.
By: Lauren Pelley Staff Reporter, Published on Sat Oct 11 2014
Hundreds of demonstrators wove through the streets of downtown Toronto
on Saturday in support of an embattled Syrian town near the border of
Turkey.
Kobani has been under siege for several weeks, with Kurdish fighters
battling against the militant group calling itself Islamic State. A
United States-led coalition appears to have done little to repel
Islamic State's advances.
"The situation is Kobani is very critical," said Chato Wany, vice
president of the Greater Toronto Kurdish House, the group that
organized Saturday's demonstration.
Attendees waved Kurdish, Canadian and American flags while chanting
"Long live Kurdistan" and other messages in support of Kobani. Wany
said the primarily Kurdish demonstrators were also joined by
supporters from Toronto's Jewish and Armenian communities.
The group gathered at the U.S. Consulate General on University Ave.
and moved south towards the Turkish Consulate General on Lower
Spadina. The event was meant to highlight the need for a corridor
between Kobani and neighbouring Turkey, according to Wany.
Kurdish officials recently appealed to Turkey to open a corridor that
would allow remaining civilians to leave the town, and arms and
supplies to enter.
"We're trying to bring awareness to opening a corridor, a way for
people to freely go back to Syria," said attendee Rahman Taban, who
moved to Canada from Iranian Kurdistan about 20 years ago.
Saturday's demonstration was largely peaceful, though one woman was
arrested for breaching the peace in front of the U.S. Consulate
General. Police removed her from the scene at the request of the
event's organizers after a scuffle broke out over the use of American
flags.
Later, a small number of demonstrators threw eggs at the Turkish
Consulate as the event was wrapping up shortly after 4 p.m. Police
encouraged demonstrators to leave the scene.
Representatives from the Turkish Consulate could not be reached for comment.
A larger, similar demonstration was held in Germany on Saturday, with
more than 20,000 Kurdish immigrants protesting against the Islamic
State group in Duesseldorf.
In Kobani, at least 500 people have been killed and thousands more
have been forced to flee across the border into Turkey since the
Islamic State launched their offensive.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/10/11/hundreds_demonstrate_in_toronto_in_support_of_syri an_town_battling_islamic_state.html
From: Baghdasarian
Oct 11 2014
Hundreds demonstrate in Toronto in support of Syrian town battling Islamic State
Kurdish community pleads for safe passage for Kobani's embattled
residents to nearby Turkey.
By: Lauren Pelley Staff Reporter, Published on Sat Oct 11 2014
Hundreds of demonstrators wove through the streets of downtown Toronto
on Saturday in support of an embattled Syrian town near the border of
Turkey.
Kobani has been under siege for several weeks, with Kurdish fighters
battling against the militant group calling itself Islamic State. A
United States-led coalition appears to have done little to repel
Islamic State's advances.
"The situation is Kobani is very critical," said Chato Wany, vice
president of the Greater Toronto Kurdish House, the group that
organized Saturday's demonstration.
Attendees waved Kurdish, Canadian and American flags while chanting
"Long live Kurdistan" and other messages in support of Kobani. Wany
said the primarily Kurdish demonstrators were also joined by
supporters from Toronto's Jewish and Armenian communities.
The group gathered at the U.S. Consulate General on University Ave.
and moved south towards the Turkish Consulate General on Lower
Spadina. The event was meant to highlight the need for a corridor
between Kobani and neighbouring Turkey, according to Wany.
Kurdish officials recently appealed to Turkey to open a corridor that
would allow remaining civilians to leave the town, and arms and
supplies to enter.
"We're trying to bring awareness to opening a corridor, a way for
people to freely go back to Syria," said attendee Rahman Taban, who
moved to Canada from Iranian Kurdistan about 20 years ago.
Saturday's demonstration was largely peaceful, though one woman was
arrested for breaching the peace in front of the U.S. Consulate
General. Police removed her from the scene at the request of the
event's organizers after a scuffle broke out over the use of American
flags.
Later, a small number of demonstrators threw eggs at the Turkish
Consulate as the event was wrapping up shortly after 4 p.m. Police
encouraged demonstrators to leave the scene.
Representatives from the Turkish Consulate could not be reached for comment.
A larger, similar demonstration was held in Germany on Saturday, with
more than 20,000 Kurdish immigrants protesting against the Islamic
State group in Duesseldorf.
In Kobani, at least 500 people have been killed and thousands more
have been forced to flee across the border into Turkey since the
Islamic State launched their offensive.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/10/11/hundreds_demonstrate_in_toronto_in_support_of_syri an_town_battling_islamic_state.html
From: Baghdasarian