Syria’s Autonomous Administration commemorates martyrs of March 12 uprising
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) organized an event including art, music, and sports performances at the March 12 stadium in Qamishli, northeast Syria, which included a friendly match between Deir Ez-Zor and al-Jazira football teams.
This took place on the 17th anniversary of the Qamishli events, which occurred in March 2004, during which more than thirty people lost their lives at the hands of the Syrian security apparatus.
Thousands of residents of Jazira and Deir ez-Zor participated in this event, in addition to officials of AANES, military and security figures, and representatives of Kurdish, Arab, and Syriac political and social groups.
The football match between al-Jazira and Deir ez-Zor teams ended with a 2-1 victory for al-Jazira.
On the same anniversary every year, a friendly football match takes place between al-Jazira and Deir Ez-Zor on the grounds of the March 12 stadium “to commemorate the martyrs expressing the rejection of attempts to sow discord,” according to the organizers of the event.
Kurdish political and social authorities in Qamishli and other areas, which witnessed the protests, believe that events of 2004 started as an attempt to sow discord; however, the public response was a Kurdish uprising against the Syrian government following killing and detention by the government security branches.
During the event, AANES’ officials in Jazira and representatives of Kurdish parties made their speeches and the participated groups performed singing and artistic performances.
Qamishli District Council co-chair Pewin Amin said, “Through this event, we recalled the memory of March 12, but in a different way from 2004.”
“In 2004, the Syrian regime tried to sow Kurdish-Arab discord at this stadium; however, today’s match between al-Jazira and Deir ez-Zor teams stresses the failure of those attempts,” she added.
Amin, who is a member in the preparation committee for the event, said, “AANES leads a system for participation and embracing all the Syrian communities without distinction.”