‘Caravan to defend Humanity’ to Syria starts in Hanover – Participants protest against war crimes committed by the Syrian army and call for participation.
22 January 2026, Hanover – Today at 4 p.m., the Caravan was presented to the public at a press conference held as part of a large demonstration in Hanover. The aim of the international Caravan is to break the international silence in the face of the crimes committed by the Syrian military and to send a strong message of solidarity. Its destination is the Kurdish city of Kobane in Syria, which is currently under attack by the military of the Islamist transitional government of the Syrian state.
War has broken out again in Syria since the beginning of January. The Islamist transitional government under Ahmed al-Sharaa had attacked the predominantly Kurdish and Christian neighborhoods of the Syrian city of Aleppo with heavy weapons, forcing tens of thousands to flee. However, it did not stop after these attacks. The army advanced further into the areas that had been liberated a few years ago from the so-called Islamic State by the multi-ethnic military alliance of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With their liberation, they became part of the grassroots democratic system of the Democratic Self-Administration of North and East Syria.
Spokesperson Gesa Jonasson emphasised: ‘We are a diverse group of people and organisations from Europe. With this Caravan, we are responding to the call from Kurdish organisations and communities in Northern and Eastern Syria for international support and attention.’
To provide this support and raise awareness, the Caravan will travel from Germany to Vienna via two different routes, from Hanover and Cologne. There will be stops in Kassel, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Freiburg, Zurich and Munich. From Vienna, where other convoys from other parts of Europe, such as Italy, will join, it will continue its journey via Turkey to Syria.
‘We will not accept that the important achievements in the region, such as direct democracy through communes and councils, gender equality and religious equality, should once again be destroyed by Islamist forces,’ Jonasson continued. ‘We have not forgotten the massacres carried out by Islamic State, both in the region and around the world.’
The Caravan also criticises Western countries for supporting the Islamist government under Ahmed al-Sharaa. “While the Islamist army was driving out the Kurdish population, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited al-Sharaa in Damascus and pledged millions in support.”
On 23 January at 8 a.m., the Caravan will set off from Kornstraße 17 in Hanover. The organisers are expecting a lot of support and a big send-off. Everyone is invited to join the Caravan.
Press contact:
In Hanover/ Germany: Gesa Jonasson +49 163 1439287
Press team for the Europe-wide Caravan: 0031613048773