#66: Defend Rojava! Part 1, The Turkish Invasion

An urgent crisis is unfolding in northern Syria, with implications for global geopolitics and revolutionary possibilities for years to come. In response to US troop withdrawal and a green light from President Trump, the Turkish military has invaded Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish region within the borders of Syria, killing hundreds and displacing over 100,000 so far. Activists around the world have condemned the invasion as a boon to ISIS, a prelude to ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish population, and an effort to destroy an important experiment in self-organization by an increasingly fascist regime. The Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces have just struck a deal with the regime of Bashar al-Assad to bring Russian-backed Syrian government troops into Rojava in hopes of halting the Turkish advance. The experiments in autonomy and democratic confederalism enacted in the cantons of Rojava have been inspiring to many anarchists; but the combination of the dire threat of annihilation by the Turkish military and the painful compromises necessary for survival have put this radical legacy in question. How did this happen? And what can we do? This is the first episode in a series The Ex-Worker will release this week exploring the current crisis. We bring you up to date on the circumstances surrounding the invasion with first-hand reports, analysis, responses to criticisms of solidarity efforts, and more. We conclude with a call to action and info on how to plug in to the global wave of resistance against the invasion. Stay tuned later this week for more historical background, interviews, and more!

{October 14th, 2019}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:01}
  • “The Threat to Rojava: An Anarchist in Syria Speaks on the Real Meaning of Trump’s Withdrawal” {4:44}
  • About the Experiment in Rojava {13:10}
  • The Factions {15:40}
  • What Does the Troop Withdrawal Mean? {27:58}
  • What Will Happen Next? {31:04}
  • Looking Forward {35:29}
  • In Search of a Third Way {39:02}
  • Why the Turkish Invasion Matters {43:44}
  • Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava Against the Turkish Invasion {1:04:08}
  • Conclusion {1:07:53}
• This episode contains excerpts from a variety of texts published by CrimethInc. on Rojava and the developing crisis there: “The Threat to Rojava: An Anarchist in Syria Speaks on the Real Meaning of Trump’s Withdrawal” (December 2018); “The Nationalists and the Jihadists Together—And Against Them, Only Autonomous Resistance” (October 2019); “The Borders Won’t Protect You But They Might Get You Killed (November 2015); “Why the Turkish Invasion Matters: Addressing the Hard Questions about Imperialism and Solidarity” (October 2019).
• IMPORTANT: over 100 groups and individuals have signed on to the following “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava—Against the Turkish Invasion! An Urgent Call from a Network of Organizations”. If you or your organization agree, you can email the organizers to add your names: coordination.for.rojava at protonmail dot com.
• This list of demonstrations around the US in solidarity with Rojava and against the Turkish invasion will continue to be updated as we learn about more events.
• For further background on the radical potential of the Rojava experiment, we encourage you to listen to the two previous Ex-Worker engagements with the topic, Episode 36 and Episode 39.
• Want to take action? Consider organizing a boycott or direct action using this list of businesses and institutions that are complicit with the Turkish war effort.