A newly-renovated Democratic Kurdish Community Centre (DKCC) in Sydney’s West was officially opened by federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese and NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge on April 24.
The centre has been operating for 41 years, in various locations, but the current premises in Kings Park have been extensively renovated over the last year by the community.
Members of Kurdish community brought their skills such as carpentry, painting, plumbing and electrical work and cooking delicious home-made Kurdish food to feed the hungry volunteer workers, the large crowd was told. The community also raised the funds needed.
Albanese told the gathering that “the democratic world did not repay the struggles and sacrifices that Kurds made fighting ISIS”. He pledged to remain a good friend of the Kurdish community.
Shoebridge also pledged the Greens support for the Kurdish struggle for justice.
“We will always demand that the Kurdish people’s struggle for self-determination be recognised and supported by the Australian government and we will always demand that the Kurdish leadership be freed from political detention – whether it is a mayor in Turkey or whether it is Abdullah Öcalan, who for two decades has been facing unwarranted political imprisonment by the Turkish government.”
In her speech, DKCC co-chair Gulfer Olan acknowledged the constant and strong support of the Rojava Solidarity – Sydney group and the Socialist Alliance.
Also present at the launch were the Reverend Bill Crews, Greenway ALP MP Michelle Rowland and Liverpool ALP MP Paul Lynch.