“The SDF protects us and we protect the SDF.”

The Dam and the Qereqozak Bridge have become symbols of resistance that will long outlast Turkey’s latest war. For more than 40 days, the SDF, YPG and YPJ fighters have been putting up a fierce resistance. Blinded by their own arrogance, the Turkish army and its proxy forces, the Syrian National Army (SNA), are now facing the strongest military force in Syria. The SDF’s technical and strategic experience has only grown under the pressure of attacks in recent years. Above all, they are far superior to SNA mercenaries. Despite Turkey’s campaign of deliberate misinformation, the SDF fighters continue to control the dam, the bridge and most of the surrounding area, protecting the population from the dramatic consequences of a Turkish occupation.

But the true difference between the two sides in this war cannot be measured in weapons and drones. Tishreen is not just military forces fighting each other. It is a society fighting against occupation and oppression. The strength that has been mustered in North and East Syria in recent weeks permeates every pore of society. This is the true symbol of Tishreen and Qereqozak. Şêre gel e Şoreşgerî – Revolutionary People’s War – is what people are shouting as they set out in thousands of cars from all parts of the region to head to the frontline. “We will protect the SDF as it protects us,” the mothers of Kobane shout.

The first people set out for the dam just a few days after the fighting concentrated in the Tishreen region. It is an initiative of the communities of the entire region, which has since become a force to be reckoned with. Each city sends a delegation for a few days until a group from another city takes over. Deir ez zor – Kobane – Cizire – Qamislo. They travel in their thousands despite all obstacles. Once they arrive, they demonstrate, dance, cook and help in any way they can. People are pouring into Tishreen by the tens of thousands. These convoys are part of a cluster of protests that have been taking place all over North and East Syria since the attacks began. Their message is clear, they stand with the SDF and their own system of self-government that has been built over the last few years from the people’s blood, sweat, tears and above all love.

In the context of current events in Syria, these protests have a special significance. While the whole world is speculating about the future of Syria, the Autonomous Administration of the North and East is the only region where a system has actually been established that guarantees equal participation. At the same time, it is the only region in Syria that is currently under such heavy attack.

Symbol of Selfdefense

The peace convoys to Tishreen have a special power because they come from the society itself. No one has told the people to go to the front, and no one needs to. The defense of their own society and all its achievements belong to them alone – they were not built by outside powers. Therefore, the will to defend these achievements is unbreakable. The rage for each and every person killed and injured on this front does not differentiate between civilians and military fighters. The war is being fought by the children, mothers, fathers, and siblings of a society that has understood that its only hope is self-defense. All have lost loved ones in previous wars. These days in North and East Syria show once again what it means not to forget those who gave their blood. Because only a society that does not forget- a society in which a fallen YPJ fighter is seen as everyone’s daughter, from Kobane to Deir ez Zor- can withstand the attacks, as the people of Tishreen are doing.

The Turkish army knows this, too, and is using all its war technology to try to break the will of the people to defend themselves. They’re bombing civilian convoys and deliberately killing journalists and rescue workers, which are horrendous crimes against humanity. Yet, here it has become a daily occurrence. The bloody hands of the Turkish army have been hovering over the region for years and have shown their intentions in Afrin, Serekaniye and Gîre Spî. The people in Rojava and Northern and Eastern Syria are well aware of the political situation, and they’re determined to defend themselves.

“As long as our children are fighting here, we’re here,” says one mother who came to Tishreen, “and who should defend us but ourselves?”. The bombing of the convoys has already killed 12 people and 70 people have been injured. Their funerals are huge demonstrations, just like those of the fighters in the tunnels and villages. It’s a chance for the whole community to come together, channel their grief into anger, and show that they’re determined to keep living. In Tishreen, they’re showing that they’re “no longer afraid, because they are greater than death.”