Hundreds of members of Nashville's Kurdish community gathered in front of the Federal Court House on Broadway Friday for a demonstration in the name of those facing attacks in Syria.

"I couldn't keep silent," Bnyad Sharef, 22, said. He and his father joined crowds Friday afternoon to bring attention to the turmoil brewing in the Kurdistan region. "This is a difficult situation. There's a lot of energy here, but sadness. Everything is at stake all the time.

Friday's rally was organized in support of friends and relatives in Syria they say have been betrayed by President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops who fought alongside Kurds battling the remnants of the Islamic State group.

Turkey's military stepped up airstrikes and a ground offensive into Kurdish-held parts of northeastern Syria after Trump's decision Sunday.

"I rarely participate in demonstrations, but the sudden and unexpected betrayal of the Kurdish people is outrageous and dangerous," U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) said as he stood among the crowds Friday. "The Kurdish people have been our friends for decades. They saved us from ISIS. They're the best fighters in the area. Even Republicans are speaking out against this."

Kurds part of Nashville

Nashville has more Kurdish residents than any other city in the U.S., with a population of at least 15,000 in recent years.

Chants of "USA, protect your allies," and "no to war, yes to peace" filled the air, accompanied by car horns honked in support and cheers and waves from several tourist buses passing through the area.

Among the demonstrators were Kurds of all ages, from grandparents to infants, many holding both Kurdish and American flags.

"I'm proud to be Kurdish, but my entire family has fought in the war. Everyone my age has fought, and I see the sadness in my parents' eyes. I hear it in their voices. They've been slaughtering and killing our people for decades," Zarivon Sindi, 18, said.

A computer science student at Nashville State Community College, he was born and raised in Nashville.

"I remember helping my dad vote on Iraqi independence, and we're still fighting," he said. "Standing out here today, I'm sad and I'm proud."

Sairan Jabar, 67, held back tears as she spoke, translated by her daughter Siver Jabbary, 29.

"We want just to be safe. Kurds love the USA. We don't know why this is happening," Jabar said. "We want support. I am glad we all are here. I hope this helps them to hear our plea."

"Our heart is with them," Jabbary said.

Sense of community in protest

Holding a sign bearing the Martin Luther King Jr. quote, "There comes a time when silence is betrayal," Hiam Sindy said she felt betrayed by the decision to pull out the forces.

"We have no backup. We have helped so much. We defeated ISIS," Sindy said. "There's nobody supporting us when we have supported so many."

Sindy, 29, a registered nurse who came to Nashville at 5 years old as a refugee from Iraq, was outside the courthouse with her son, brother and nephew.

"Let us be heard," she said.

Signs held by demonstrators were varied in tone, some promoting peace, others demanding a presidential impeachment.

One phrase in particular appeared several times: "No friend but the mountains."

"It resonates with every Kurd," Sharef said. "Our history is of betrayal, at its core. Over and over again the Kurdish people have to seek refuge in the mountains and raise arms again."

Activists call Turkish action genocide

"We wanted to shine a light on the genocide, the ethnic cleansing going on in the Kurdish region of Syria right now," said Ryber Ali, a board member of the Tennessee Kurdish Community Council. "Children are dying. Moms and dads, people just trying to go to work and go home and maybe stop at the grocery store on the way home to feed their families."

Ali said he found photos recently of his cousin and aunt demonstrating for an identical cause.

"We're in numbers hoping we can get our congressmen and women, our senators to start thinking differently. Peace talks... that would be amazing," he said. "It's our high hope that we gathered here today to raise awareness so Nashville, the United States, the international community knows what's going on.

"We want our human rights."

Thursday marked the second day of Turkey's assault on Kurdish forces in the region.

Reports rapidly changed amid the fluid situation, but at least seven civilians were killed and thousands of people fled their homes, according to the Kurdish Hawar news agency and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Turkey launched the assault because it views a Kurdish militia that dominates the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, as a terrorist group. This group, the People's Protection Unit, or YPG, is aligned with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has fought for autonomy in eastern Turkey for years. As part of that effort, the PKK carried out a wave of bombings and other attacks in Turkey.

The international community and U.S. military planners regard the PKK as terrorists but not the YPG, which has been a formidable and trusted ally for the U.S.-led coalition in its attempts to root out suspected members of the Islamic State group in the area.

On Friday, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate James Mackler joined the crowds in support of not only the cause, but also of a man he knew as a translator when he served in Iraq.

"He feels betrayed and scared," Mackler said.

Mackler served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, he said, flying H-60 Blackhawk helicopters in the region where combat has rekindled.

"I felt safest when I was in Kurdistan, with the Kurds," he said. "I wore that flag on my shoulder, and I see that as a promise that we'd stand by them. We need to be a true partner to our allies."

'What our people have been through'

While some parents — like Brivan Mousa, did not want to scare her young son, Yusuf, 3, by telling him the reason for the gathering — others felt even young children needed to know some of what was happening to their family and friends.

Peyman Omer, 36, brought her children with her to the demonstration Friday, including her youngest, Derhot Yasin, 5.

"I feel good," Derhot said, as his mom patted him on the shoulder.

"He didn't understand at first why we were coming out here today," Omer said. "I had to explain, you know, our people, our family is fighting overseas and we have to support them.

"I want him to know what our people have been through. I want him to know where he comes from."

Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.