Kurdish protesters rally in Zurich against Syrian government forces

BERN, SWITZERLAND — January 20, 2026. Kurdish protesters hold a portrait of Mazlum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and a Kurdistan flag while chanting slogans against the Syrian government during a demonstration in Bern. The protest followed the circulation of images showing a soldier from Damascus-aligned forces displaying a braid reportedly cut from the body of a YPJ fighter. In recent weeks, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), historically backed by the United States, have come under attack by Syrian government forces, prompting calls for international intervention from Kurdish communities in Syria and abroad. Photo: Sedat Suna / MedPress.