Demonstrations have begun in support of Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was handcuffed and detained by officials from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency.

In the state of Massachusetts, hundreds of people protested the detention of Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing a doctoral degree at Tufts University, by the Customs and Border Protection Agency (ICE). Organized by the “Palestine Liberation Coalition” activist group, a large crowd gathered at Powder House Park. Carrying signs reading “Free Rümeysa” and “We Stand with Rümeysa,” demonstrators demanded the immediate release of Öztürk.

“VERY WORRYING”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also condemned Öztürk’s detention. The organization’s Executive Director, Tahirah Amutal Wadud, stated in a release that the actions taken by customs officials were very worrying.

HANDS CUFFED BEHIND HER BACK

Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student in the US, was detained by plainclothes ICE officers as she was leaving her home in Massachusetts to go for iftar on the evening of March 25. The loud objections made by Öztürk while being handcuffed from behind were captured on camera by ICE officers. Öztürk’s lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, revealed that there was no contact with her client, and a written statement from Tufts University indicated that the university administration was not informed of this detention in any form. The detention of Rümeysa Öztürk occurred during a period when the Trump administration was exerting pressure on Palestinian supporters among students and academics. Previously, Palestinian activist Mahmud Halil and recently graduated Columbia University were also detained.