October 23, 1995 – A Landmark of Resilience and Defiance
We reflect on an important milestone in the path of struggle — the twenty-third of October — the day when the “initiators” decided to embark on an open strike and sit-in, to prove that the people’s will is stronger than the machinery of repression and deprivation.
The protesters raised a simple yet profoundly meaningful slogan: “We will continue until our demands are met,” expressing their determination to move forward despite harsh conditions and limited public engagement.
Those days were a testament to steadfastness, as the flame of hope remained alight despite every attempt to extinguish it. They knew that each passing day was another step toward justice, and every moment of their endurance became a lesson in liberation from oppression — a new beginning on the road to freedom. Their memory today is an occasion to draw inspiration from their courage and renew our pledge to continue the struggle.
What happened on that day remains a bright chapter in the history of resistance, when the fighters stood united, hand in hand, firmly holding onto their rights, and faced the policies of repression with unyielding resolve. Their stance embodied sacrifice bound with loyalty to the principles and values they had long fought for.
We do not return to that anniversary to mourn the past, but to learn from it — to see how our forebears confronted challenges with fortitude, how they refused to surrender to restrictions or abandon their hopes. Their steps were a stand for dignity, demonstrating that sit-ins and strikes are not merely tools of protest, but legitimate means of claiming rights in the face of oppression and coercion.
