People in the town of Manbij in eastern rural Aleppo on Sunday went on a strike in protest over the repressive practices of the militias of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and in reaction to the killing of two young men from the Bubna tribe at the hands of the PYD’s militias.
Residents of the town said that all stores in the main marketplace were closed down in response to calls by tribal leaders for a general strike that excluded hospitals and pharmacies.
Local activists said that PYD militias were preparing buses to bring their supporters to Manbaj and stage pro-PYD rallies to end the strike, which activists dubbed the “dignity strike.”
Activists as well as civil and tribal organizations in Manbij announced that the strike would continue until all the PYD militias withdraw from the town, pointing out that they would use all legal means to make the strike a success.
Big anti-PYD protests erupted in Manbij on Friday to protest the death of two young members of the Bubna Arab tribe which accused the PYD militias of torturing the two youngsters to death while in their custody. In late 2017, the town witnessed angry demonstrations to protest against the PYD militias’ forced recruitment of young men into their ranks.
The Syrian Coalition earlier accused the PYD militias of committing crimes against civilians in the areas under their control as it called on the United Nations to conduct investigations into these crimes and violations and to hold perpetrators accountable. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Smart News Network)
