Anna Campbell

Anna Montgomery Campbell (1991 – 15 March 2018), also known as Hêlîn Qereçox, was a British feminist, anarchist and prison abolition activist who fought with the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) in the Rojava conflict of the Syrian civil war.[1][2]

For other people with similar names, see Anne Campbell (disambiguation).
Anna Campbell
Campbell in YPJ uniform
Other name(s)Hêlîn Qereçox
Born1991
Lewes, East Sussex, England
Died15 March 2018 (aged 26–27)
Afrin District, Syria
Allegiance Rojava
Service/branch Women's Protection Units (YPJ)

Ancestry and early life

Campbell was born in Lewes, East Sussex, England, the daughter of progressive rock musician Dirk Campbell.[3][4] Her mother was Katherine Emma "Adrienne Katie", born Bridges, her father's second wife.[5]

Campbell had military forebears, with ancestors serving in the Royal Navy and Royal Artillery. Her grandfather served in The Royal Tank Regiment in World War II.

She was educated at the independent St Mary's Hall, Brighton, then went to study at University of Sheffield before moving to Bristol, where she worked as a plumber.[6] Campbell was involved with many political movements, including the 2010 United Kingdom student protests, the Hunt Saboteurs Association, Anarchist Black Cross and other anarchist and abolitionist organisations.[1]

Involvement in the Rojava conflict

During the Rojava conflict, Campbell fought with the YPJ in the Deir ez-Zor campaign, an attack on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant stronghold of Deir ez-Zor. She was also involved in the YPJ's activities in support of women's rights in Kurdistan. According to The New York Times, she was moved by the defence of "an autonomous, mostly Kurdish region in northern Syria, known as Rojava, whose leaders advocate a secular, democratic and egalitarian politics, with equal rights for women".[7]

Death

Campbell was killed by a Turkish Armed Forces missile strike during the Turkish military operation in the Afrin Canton, Operation Olive Branch.[2][8] The YPJ announced:[9][10][11]

Our British comrade Hêlîn Qereçox (Anna Campbell) has become the symbol of all women after resisting against fascism in Afrin to create a free world. We promise to fulfill Şehîd (martyr) Hêlîn’s struggle and honour her memory in our fight for freedom.

She is the only British woman to die fighting for the YPJ.[12]

Following the announcement of Campbell's death, her father started a campaign to recover her body, which could not be located by aid organisations until a ceasefire was in place in the area.[13] Dirk Campbell accused the British government of 'a total lack of proactivity' in helping to recover her body,[14] which is yet to be recovered from the battlefield as of 2019.[15]

In response to Campbell's death, protesters from the Bristol Kurdish Solidarity Network (BKSN) and friends of Campbell blocked the offices of BAE Systems in Bristol. Activists accuse the company of supplying weapons to Turkey which have been used against civilians in Rojava.[16]


References
  1. "Rest in Power Anna". Empty Cages Collective (prisonabolition.org). Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  2. Blake, Matt (2018-03-19). "British woman killed fighting Turkish forces in Afrin". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  3. Martin, Laura (25 June 2019). "Anna Campbell: What happened to the woman from East Sussex who went to fight Isis in Syria". i. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  4. Blake, Matt (2018-04-01). "Anna Campbell's father: 'I don't think I had any right to stop her fighting in Syria'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  5. https://www.dirkcampbell.co.uk/adrienne
  6. Vardy, Emma (2018-03-19). "Briton killed fighting with Kurdish unit". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  7. Pérez-Peña, Richard (2018-03-19). "Drawn to a Cause, British Woman Dies Fighting Alongside Kurds in Syria". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  8. Norton, Alexander (2018-03-20). "I fought with the YPG and I'm upset by the patronising reaction to Anna Campbell's death". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  9. "British woman killed while fighting in Syria was 'fearless and noble'". Shropshire Star. 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  10. "Memorial for YPJ martyr Anna Campbell in London". ANF News. 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  11. Sweeney, Steve (2019-10-25). "Bring Anna Home". Morning Star. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  12. Blake, Matt (2018-03-23). "'Thousands could die': female British fighter urges support for Syria's Kurds". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  13. Warburton, Dan (2018-03-24). "Dad of a Brit killed fighting ISIS launches desperate bid to bring home her body". mirror. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  14. Evans, Martin (2018-03-21). "Father of British woman killed in Syria demands more help to repatriate her body". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  15. King, Susan (24 October 2019). "Grieving Lewes father of Anna Campbell takes legal action to bring her body home". Sussex Express. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  16. Cork, Tristan (2018-03-23). "'Anna is with us' – Protest blockades BAE office over death of activist". bristolpost. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
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