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Hanover's Kurds crowd city centre to protest Germany's arm sales to Turkey
Demonstrators carry flags of the YPG as they protest against the Turkish military intervention in northern Syria, in Hannover, Germany

HANOVER’S city centre was taken over by thousands of Kurds and their left-wing supporters at the weekend as they protested against Turkey’s offensive in Afrin and Germany’s arms sales to Ankara.

Under the banner “Newroz means resistance — the resistance is Afrin,” marking Tuesday’s Kurdish New Year, the protest was largely peaceful.

Against a backdrop of music and songs praising the military feats of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ), protesters shouted: “Long live the Afrin resistance,” “Long live YPG/YPJ resistance” and “Murderer Erdogan,” referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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