Public Story
Demonstrations against NATO summit, Trump and Turkish invasion of Syria, London, 03/12/2019
Several thousand people demonstrated in London during 70th anniversary NATO summit attended by world leaders including US president Donald Trump and Turkey's Recep Tayyip ErdoāŸan. Police cordoned off most of the area around Buckingham palace and Whitehall and attempted to block the demonstrators on its way to the palace. Several arrests took place.
Protesters called for an end of the alliance which they see as an aggressor rather than a defense structure.
Large part of the crowd was formed by the Kurdish diaspora and their supporters who voiced anger with Turkish invasion to northern Syria started by president ErdoāŸan without consultations with his NATO partners. Turkey is targeting Kurdish YPG fighters who were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State and considers the Kurdish units terrorists. Critics say Turkey is waging a genocide on the Kurds and is siding with ISIS whose fighters have resurfaced since the invasion begun.
Other groups came to support the Palestinians or protest against the threat of war with Iran or perceived US meddling in ongoing revolutions in South America.
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