PROTESTORS marched through the streets of Oxford yesterday to raise awareness about the killing of Kurdish civilians in Northern Syria.

The marchers set off from Manzil Way in East Oxford and made their way down the Cowley Road before staging a rally in Broad Street.

Among them were people from the Afrin region of Northern Syria which has seen a military offensive from Turkish forces in the last week.

The Turkish government claim its actions are necessary to crush what it believes are 'terrorist' groups in the Kurdish-controlled area.

It is focussed on destroying the 'People's Protection Units' (YPG), a Kurdish militia group that helped drive Islamic State militants from the region, with the help of US air strikes.

Turkey views the group as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which fights for Kurdish independence from the country.

One of the organisers of Sunday's protest, student Mark Windmill, 23, said it had received a positive reception on the streets.

He added: "We had people who came and joined in when they saw us and others beeped their horns or cheered in support.

"I think we really got our message across.

"We decided to do something after seeing the images coming out of Afrin of people being killed and injured, it is a very bad situation."