JINHA

NEWS CENTER – In the wake of a bombing at the massive Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) rally in Diyarbakır that has claimed four lives and wounded at least 350, the people in the cities of Batman, Cizre and Kızıltepe took to the streets last night in solidarity with the people of Diyarbakır.

HDP General Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, addressing the gathering crowd from a bus outside the party's provincial building, told the citizens of Diyarbakır to remain strong and determined in their elections work and not to enter into clashes with the police.

As night fell on Diyarbakır in the wake of the bombing, thousands of people flooded the city's hospitals hoping to give blood to the wounded. Every neighborhood of the city was filled with vehicles driving around honking their horns; the sounds of pots and pans actions; and citizens flipping their lights on and off in protest at the attack.

In the nearby city of Batman, the people took to the streets upon learning of the attack, joining in pots and pan and light switch actions. As of midnight, the people were still out in the streets and a convoy of thousands was driving around the city honking their horns.

The situation was similar in the cities of Cizre (Şırnak province) and Kızıltepe (Mardin province). In Kızıltepe, the presence of police vehicles touring the city making announcements increased the sense of tension.

(ekip/gc/cm)