http://www.euronews.com/ Up to 25,000 people gathered in Bochum in West Germany to protest
against an award meant to be given to Turkish prime minister Recep
Tayipp Erdogan.
The demonstration was organised by Germany's Alevi community, who claimed Erdogan's cancelled trip was a victory.
However, Erdogan officially did not visit Germany because of the Turkish helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Saturday.
One
demonstrator described her feelings: "Here in Germany we are
foreigners, we are foreigners in our own country. We do not know where
to go as Kurds and as Alevites," she said.
Gathered at a local
football stadium, the minority groups displayed banners showing why they
did not think Germany should award Erdogan a prize for tolerance.
Posters accused Erdogan of being anti-democratic and portrayed him with a Hitler moustache.