Qamishlo — The People’s Council in Rojava in Qamishlo delivered a statement marking the 22nd anniversary of the Qamishlo Uprising during a commemorative ceremony attended by hundreds of residents and representatives from various institutions of the Autonomous Administration and civil society, reaffirming their commitment to the spirit of the uprising and the ongoing struggle for freedom and dignity.

Hundreds of residents from Qamishlo and different areas of Rojava gathered today, Thursday, March 12, at March 12 Stadium to commemorate the anniversary of the uprising, which marked a turning point in the history of the Kurdish people’s struggle in Syria.

At the same place where the spark of public anger erupted in 2004—when residents confronted the policies of repression and marginalization practiced by the Ba’ath Party—hundreds gathered again today to affirm that the uprising was not merely a passing event but the beginning of a new phase of awareness and resistance.

The event organized by the People’s Council in Qamishlo witnessed wide public participation. During the gathering, an official statement was delivered reviewing the sacrifices made and emphasizing the continuation of the struggle while preserving the spirit of March 12 as a symbol of resistance and resilience.

Participants recalled the sacrifices made by the people of the region in the pursuit of dignity and freedom, stressing that the will of the people is stronger than attempts at repression and denial, and that the March 12 Uprising will remain a symbol of resistance and steadfastness in the collective memory of the region.

The statement read:
“Today marks the twenty-second anniversary of the Qamishlo Uprising, an event deeply engraved in the memory of our Kurdish people and all the peoples of Syria, becoming a symbol of sacrifice and resilience against oppression and injustice. On this day in 2004, the Ba’ath regime committed a crime against our people in Qamishlo when it confronted unarmed crowds with live ammunition, leaving dozens of martyrs and hundreds of wounded and detained.”

It added that the massacre was not an isolated incident but the natural result of decades of exclusion and persecution policies carried out by the Ba’ath regime against the Kurdish people—from denying their identity to depriving them of basic rights and attempting demographic changes in their regions. The blood of the martyrs of March 12, the statement noted, became a flame of resistance as Kurdish cities in Al‑Jazira Region, Kobani, and Afrin rose up in defense of dignity and freedom, turning March 12 into a symbol of the Kurdish people’s struggle for justice, recognition, and the right to live freely on their land.

The statement further noted that “after the fall of the Ba’ath regime, we stand today before a new historical phase that requires all of us—Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, and all components of Syria—to work together to build a democratic and pluralistic Syria based on mutual recognition, justice, and equality, and to put an end to any attempts to restore policies of repression or exclusion.”

It concluded by emphasizing that the people of Qamishlo renewed their commitment during the commemoration to the spirit of the March 12 uprising, stressing that the people’s will for freedom and dignity remains alive and that the path of struggle will continue in the face of all attempts to erase or forget it.