The silent march, organized by healthcare workers, began at Hazrat Suleiman Mosque in Diyarbakır's Sur district and proceeded towards the historical Ulu Mosque, the 5th Harem-i Sharif. Participants wore bloody aprons symbolizing the impact of the atrocities.

At the Grand Mosque, health workers made a press statement, focusing on the ongoing genocide committed by the occupation regime in Gaza, particularly the massacres of civilians, hospitals, and health workers. Dilara Sandıkçı, a 2nd-year English student at Dicle University, read the press statement.

The statement emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been indiscriminately slaughtering people, bombing hospitals, schools, and refugee camps. It highlighted the high casualty toll, including over 18,000 Palestinians killed, more than 7,000 of them children, and at least 50,000 injured. The statement also condemned the attacks on health facilities and the detention of Chief Physician Mohammed Abu Salmia.

The participants declared their loss of belief in the doctrine of universal human rights, stating that the world had unilaterally abrogated human rights texts by labeling the Gaza genocide as "self-defense." They called on people worldwide to join their cause and stand against oppression, expressing determination to continue the struggle until the Zionist oppression ends.

The statement ended with greetings to the free Palestinian people and a commemoration of all Palestinians who marched to martyrdom, especially Gazan students and health workers murdered while pursuing their right to education.

The full text of the statement is as follows:

Esteemed members of the press, my dear fellow students and dear Diyarbakır residents of good conscience;

Humanity has been going through a difficult test since the second week of October. After decades of occupation, blockade and oppression, the Palestinian territories are now witnessing unimaginable atrocities. For nearly two months, Israeli occupation forces have been indiscriminately slaughtering people in Gaza, bombing hospitals, schools and refugee camps with reckless abandon. As of last week, more than 18,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children, have been killed and at least 50,000 injured, thousands of them seriously.

At least 283 health workers have been killed in Gaza, the deadliest fighting in the history of the United Nations in the past two months, with a total of 212 attacks on health facilities in Gaza since October 7, including 24 different hospitals bombed by Israel and more than 100 ambulances taken out of service.  Mohammed Abu Salmia, the chief physician of Shifa hospital, the main hospital in Gaza City, has been detained by Israel since November 22.

The Islamic University of Gaza and its two medical faculties were destroyed by heavy attacks and its rector, world-renowned scientist Prof. Dr. Sufyan Tayeh, was martyred along with his family members.  Hundreds of innocent students holding only a pen were brutally murdered.

We believe that we do not need to wait for the representatives of the international community, who have completely lost their sincerity and credibility, to come together and vote to characterize these actions as genocide. The clear fact is that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

As Dicle University students and health workers, we declare that our belief in the doctrine of universal human rights has been destroyed in a way that cannot be rebuilt. In a world where genocide can be committed without hesitation, "human rights" is nothing more than a hollow fairy tale.. Henceforth, neither the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, nor the European Convention on Human Rights, nor the Geneva Convention, nor any other human rights text worthy of attention has any validity. The so-called civilized world has unilaterally abrogated all noteworthy human rights texts by calling the genocide in Gaza “self-defense”. On this occasion, we clearly state the de facto situation and declare the collapse of the human rights doctrine.

We refuse to accept the concept of universal human rights unless the life of a Syrian child is given the same value as the life of a German child; unless the life of a Yemeni child is given the same value as the life of a French child; unless the death of a Palestinian child is given the same response as the death of a Ukrainian child.

We hereby call on students, health professionals, lawyers, and people of conscience all over the world to take action, to take part in this honorable march and to be a voice in our Silent March caravan to stand against oppression!  We are determined to take a conscientious and courageous stance worthy of our youth to protect the lives of civilians, children, women and students in Gaza. We will continue the struggle until the Zionist oppression ends.

We will not take it for granted! We will not normalize! We will not be intimidated! We will be the ones who stand against oppression with patience and perseverance!

We send greetings to the free Palestinian people from Diyarbakir, Jerusalem’s own brother, the fifth haremi sharif. We commemorate with mercy all the brave Palestinians who marched to martyrdom, especially our Gazan students and health workers who were murdered by taking away their right to education.

Long Live Free Palestine, Long Live Free Jerusalem......I greet you all with respect.” (ILKHA)