The International Revolutionary People's Guerrilla Forces (IRPGF) was a collective of anarchist fighters from around the world. Its formation was announced on 31 March 2017. According to the group, their goals were to defend the social revolution in

Rojava The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions in the areas of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, ...

in northern Syria, and to spread anarchism. The group announced its dissolution on 24 September 2018. The IRPGF had been part of the

International Freedom Battalion The International Freedom Battalion ( tr, Enternasyonalist Özgürlük Taburu; ku, Tabûra Azadî ya Înternasyonal; ar, تابور الحرية العالمي), commonly abbreviated as IFB or EÖT, is a revolutionary socialist armed group co ...

since April 2017. Turkish media have described them as a terrorist organization and part of the network of the outlawed

Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of sout ...

Affiliation

The group was a part of the

since April 2017, and they are the second anarchist group to join after the Greek unit RUIS. They participate frequently in the campaign activities of the brigade in social networks. On 29 May, the IRPGF issued a statement in tribute to the commander of the

United Freedom Forces The United Freedom Forces ( tr, Birleşik Özgürlük Güçleri, or BÖG) is a joint expatriate militia of several revolutionary socialist organizations from Turkey, most notably the Revolutionary Communard Party (DKP), active in the Rojava ...

Mehmet Kurnaz (Ulaş Bayraktaroglu), who was killed in combat on the Raqqa Front while fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. They define him as a true friend of IRPGF. On the 31st of the same month, the IRPGF sent representatives and speakers to the City of Derek (Canton of Cizîrê) at the funeral ceremony to four martyrs of the International Freedom Battalion and the People's Protection Units, Mehmet Kurnaz (Ulaş Bayraktaroglu) commander of the United Freedom Forces, Muzaffer Kandemir (fighter) of the United Freedom Forces, Elî Mihemed Mizil (Şêr Zagros) and Nimet Tûrûg (Baran Cudi) of the People's Protection Units.

Armed struggle and involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Their public presence was confirmed at multiple martyr ceremonies in Rojava over 2017. Having fought along with the three most recent martyrs of the International Freedom Battalion, they were present at the funeral ceremonies for DKP leader and United Freedom Forces (BÖG) commander Ulaş Bayraktaroğlu, Tufan Eroğluer (Hasan Ali) from BÖG and Ayşe Deniz Karacagil (Destan Temmuz) from MLKP.

The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army

On 24 July 2017, the IRPGF announced from Raqqa City the formation of

The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA) was a queer anarchist armed group and subunit of the International Revolutionary People's Guerrilla Forces formed on 24 July 2017 by LGBT members of the IRPGF. Its formation was announced fro ...

(TQILA), along with a statement explaining the purposes of its formation in which the response to persecution of LGBT persons by ISIL is highlighted as one of the main motivations of the group. The testimonial image of its formation, in which fighters posed alongside a sign with the motto "These faggots kill fascists" and two flags – one belonging to the recent group and an

LGBT flag The rainbow flag, also known as the (gay) pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality an ...

– that was quickly made viral by several western media that, surprised by the unit's creation, echoed the event with large repercussions. The recent unit, like the rest of the IRPGF, was a member of the

, in one of the testimonial photos is sighted ''Heval Mahirnota'', commander of the International Freedom Battalion, and the Marxist-Leninist guerrilla TKP/ML TİKKO, holding the LGBT flag. Despite being part of the International Freedom Battalion several media erroneously reported that TQILA could be an official unit of the Syrian Democratic Forces which caused confusion. Following the impact of this mistaken information Mustafa Bali, media director of the SDF, denied such information alleging that there is an LGBT brigade within the coalition, but does not deny the existence of the same which, indeed, belongs to the International Freedom Battalion.

Interviews

The IRPGF has conducted major interviews with Middle East Eye,

CrimethInc. CrimethInc., also known as CWC, which stands for either "CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective" or "CrimethInc Ex-Workers Ex-Collective", is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. * * * CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initia ...

, Enough is Enough, Insurrection News and Rojava Solidarity NYC

Gallery

IRPGF in Raqqa city 1.png, An IRPGF fighter during the Battle of Raqqa in 2017 IFB members at Destan Temmuz burial in Kobanê.jpg, Fighters from the IRPGF and IFB at the burial of Destan Temmuz, an MLKP fighter. Ni Una Menos from Raqqa.png, Solidarity with

Ni una menos Ni una menos (; Spanish for "Not one omanless") is a Latin American fourth-wave grassroots feminist movement, which started in Argentina and has spread across several Latin American countries, that campaigns against gender-based violence. In it ...

. Fighters of the International Freedom Battalion.jpg, IFB and IRPGF members posing with their flags IRPGF fighters in Tabqa 5.jpg, An IRPGF fighter during the

Battle of Tabqa The Battle of Tabqa, part of the Raqqa campaign (2016–17) of the Rojava-Islamist conflict, resulted from a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to recapture and secure the Tabqa Da ...

IRPGF fighters in Tabqa 4.jpg, IRPGF fighters resting during the Battle of Tabqa IRPGF fighters in Tabqa 2.jpg, A column of IRPGF fighters during the Battle of Tabqa IRPGF fighters in Tabqa 3.jpg, IRPGF fighters crossing

Lake Assad Lake Assad ( ar, بحيرة الأسد, ''Buhayrat al-Assad'') is a reservoir on the Euphrates in Raqqa Governorate, Syria. It was created in 1974 when construction of the Tabqa Dam was completed. Lake Assad is Syria's largest lake, with a maxim ...

by boat IRPGF fighters in Tabqa 1.jpg, An IRPGF fighter firing at enemy positions in Tabqa (Heval) Black October - IRPGF.png, A member of the IRPGF IRPGF flag.jpg, IRPGF fighters displaying the group's flag

References

External links

Nace la guerrilla anarquista “IRPGF” en Rojava para luchar por la revolución en Kurdistán y el mundo – ''Ruptura Colectiva''IRPGF on TwitterIRPGF on FacebookiRPGF on archive.org
{{Syrian Kurdistan topics Anarchism in Syria Anti-ISIL factions in Syria Defunct anarchist militant groups Defunct communist militant groups Expatriate units and formations in the Syrian civil war Guerrilla organizations International Freedom Battalion International LGBT organizations LGBT organizations in Syria Queer organizations LGBT anarchism Resistance movements Revolutionary movements