KURDISH activists have started a five-day protest in London to demand an immediate halt to Turkey’s attack on Afrin.

Defend Afrin Platform is staging the protest outside Downing Street to call on the British government to stop its ally Turkey’s “massacre and war crimes” in northern Syria.

The platform is an alliance of British-based Turkish and Kurdish organisations and supporters.

Activists began the protest last night and will be continuing the sit-in until 9pm on Friday.

During the five-day protest, members of the group will provide information and deliver files concerning Turkey’s actions.

Campaigners have called on the public to attend and show solidarity.

The Turkish military launched its assault on Afrin, the westernmost part of the Syrian Kurds’ Rojava region, on January 29.

Since then over 350 civilians have been killed and hundreds injured as hospitals, refugee camps and other centres have been bombed.

More than 800,000 people have fled their homes, some of whom were already refugees in their own country.

The British government and the rest of the international community have remained silent about the attacks even though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated he would “cleanse” the region.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Foreign Office have stated their support for the military offensive.

Britain is allied to Turkey through Nato and the Tories have pushed to sell more arms to Mr Erdogan’s government.

Alan Shemo, the spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Britain, warned that Turkey’s assault was affecting the Kurds’ fight against Isis in north-eastern Syria.

Campaigners have urged an end to British arms sales to Turkey and for the government to exert pressure on it to halt the invasion.