January 24, 2026, Vienna – The “Caravan for the Defence of Humanity” arrives in Vienna, Austria, with over 100 people. People from across Europe have set off on four different routes to Kobane to support the local population in their resistance against the siege by the Syrian army.
“Today we received news that supplies to the city of Kobane have collapsed. The Islamist Syrian army is blocking all access routes to the city. There is no great difference between these soldiers and the Islamic State, which attacked the city a few years ago. How can it be that this city and its inhabitants, who have become a symbol of resistance against IS, are being left alone in this difficult situation”, criticises Gesa Jonasson, spokesperson for the Caravan.
The participants in the Caravan came from various regions of Europe, including Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Catalonia, and England. The participants from Colombia had the longest journey. “We in Colombia know what it means to live in war. Our country was also destroyed. But the strong women in Raqqa, whom I met on my trip to the region in 2025, impressed me greatly with their courage and resistance against ISIS”, emphasises Lalo Londono from Colombia.
For many years, the Arab city of Raqqa was the capital of the so-called Islamic State (IS) until it was liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in October 2017. Among the fighters were many Arab women from the region. A few days ago, the Syrian army took the city despite the resistance of the SDF. Many participants in the Caravan share the concern that the war waged by the government in Damascus will cause Islamist forces such as IS to regain strength throughout the region. Since the self-proclaimed transitional government took power, massacres of various minorities in Syria have already taken place.
“Democratic self-government stands for direct democracy, women’s freedom, and peaceful coexistence between different peoples, such as Druze, Kurds, Assyrians, and many more. We cannot remain silent when these very people are threatened by a humanitarian catastrophe, as is currently the case in Kobane”, says Zozan Kisa, a participant in the Caravan.
On January 25, 2026, a rally with a press conference will take place on Heldenplatz in Vienna. From there, the Caravan will continue its journey via Serbia, Greece, and Turkey to the Syrian-Turkish border.
Press contact:
Caravan participant from Frankfurt am Main: Zozan Kisa +49 157 332 08412
Caravan spokesperson: Gesa Jonasson +49 163 1439287
Press team for the Europe-wide Caravan: +31 6130 48773
