Students and local activists gathered on Wednesday evening at Powder House Park to protest the detainment of Tufts graduate student, Rümeysa Öztürk, by federal authorities on Tuesday. The protest was organized by Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, formerly known as the Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts, and other activist groups from the Greater Boston area.
The university confirmed Wednesday night that Öztürk — a doctoral candidate in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development — was moved to Louisiana after being detained on her way to an Iftar gathering for Ramadan at Tufts’ Interfaith Center. Her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, previously filed a writ of habeas corpus to argue her release, and a judge ordered Öztürk to not be removed from Massachusetts for at least 48 hours without proper notice.
A video showing masked law enforcement officers approaching Öztürk on a Somerville street circulated widely online.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not clarified the charges being levied against Öztürk and did not respond to the Daily’s request for comment.
The roughly half dozen speakers ranged from Tufts undergraduate students to members of the Muslim Justice League, Palestinian Youth Movement and the Immigrant Justice Network of MA, who spoke about the need for individuals to know their rights and directed the crowd toward immigration resources.
“This is not a moment where we can afford to be acting alone. This is not a moment for lone actors who are trying to disrupt,” one speaker said. “We are each individual threads that make up a tapestry of resistance here in Somerville all the way to Palestine.”
Another criticized progressive politicians for merely writing statements about Öztürk and called for community members to take charge of the political movement.
“We are not here just because of the last two months. We are here because progressives — time and time again — you cede ground,” the activist said. “Ask yourself, ‘What are you going to do about it? How are you going to show up for your community? For your immigrant neighbors? For the students who have fearlessly fought for Palestine for almost two years now?’”
Boston and its surrounding communities have received heightened scrutiny from federal law enforcement under the administration of President Donald Trump, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement reporting that it arrested almost 400 people from the area last week.
“It is the immigrant communities, the undocumented communities, the working communities who are leading this struggle for our own liberation,” another said earlier.
Local residents of all ages attended the protest in addition to Tufts students, faculty and staff.
“People are always going to fight back,” Emily Isaac, a Somerville resident, said. “Everyone likes to say what they would have done during a historical atrocity, or during times of fascism, and I think it’s important to recognize the signs of when it’s happening.”
Antuan Castro Del Rio, a member of the Boston May Day Coalition, said that solely participating in rallies is never enough.
“What happened last night in Somerville, it is just the show of how much they’re testing the waters to make sure that they can continue doing it in every college and in every town around Massachusetts,” Castro Del Rio said.
A Northeastern student affiliated with Massachusetts Peace Action, Grace Cowell, said that she attended the rally to stand behind those who put themselves at risk for speaking out.
“Especially now, being a student myself and seeing people literally get dragged off their campuses for free speech and speaking up for what they believe in, is just really appalling,” Cowell said.
Local officials including Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Massachusetts Reps. Erika Uyterhoeven and Mike Connolly and Medford City Council President Zac Bears were present at the rally.
“It was important for, I think me, and everyone here today to stand up for her,” Uyterhoeven said, “And I think we also know it’s incumbent upon us to fight to get her back. Every day, hour, minute that she is in detention is a minute too long.”
Bears condemned the detainments of immigrants by the Trump administration.
“I’m here because it’s not something that should be happening in our community; it’s not something that should be happening in our country,” he said. “And the fact that bullies and tyrants and fascists think that they can come here and take our neighbors is abhorrent.”
Members of Safe Medford were also present. Safe Medford was established during the first Trump presidency to keep immigrants safe and has since expanded its mission to protect other marginalized communities in Medford.
“Our mission is to make sure that our city is safe for everyone,” Jennifer Yanco, a member of Safe Medford, said. “So abducting people off the streets is not part of being safe. We’re very disturbed by this.”
The speakers encouraged those present to attend a rally today in front of Somerville City Hall at 6 p.m., ahead of the city council meeting at 7 p.m. The councilors will vote on a petition for a ballot question to end the city’s business and prohibit future investment with companies doing business in Israel.
“The fight is on paper. We need to make sure that laws are changed, need to make sure that the texts inside of the Constitution are changed for justice. But most importantly, what people can take away from here is that this is the beginning of a bigger movement because this is not going to stop. This is just the beginning,” Castro Del Rio said.
Liam Chalfonte contributed reporting.
