Protest In Somerville Over Tufts Grad Student Rumeysa Ozturk's ICE Detention
Students hedl protest in Somerville, MA, centers on Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts grad student detaintion by US Immegration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for her pro-Palestinian activism, specifically her support for the BDS movement, which pushes for boycotts against Israel to pressure it into meeting international law obligations.
The visuals shows a large crowd at Powder House Square, a historic site tied to the 1774 Massachusetts Powder Alarm, with signs demanding Ozturk’s release and criticizing ICE actions as political repression.
HAPPENING NOW: Thousands of protestors call for the release of Rumeysa Ozturk in Somerville, MA. The Tufts grad student was abducted by ICE last night after publishing an article that was critical of Israel and supportive of BDS. pic.twitter.com/r1577etZJz
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) March 26, 2025
Ozturk’s detention follows her co-authorship of an article critical of Israel, sparking debates on free speech and immigration enforcement, with her visa revoked over alleged Hamas support despite a court order to keep her in Massachusetts.
A Tufts University student and a Fulbright scholar, Runeysa Ozturk, was snatched off of the streets by masked agents for criticizing U.S. foreign policy.
Why are these cowards hiding their faces?
I thought MAGA has effectively banished masks?
Unreal.pic.twitter.com/z5CXUmqhag
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 27, 2025
Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by masked U.S. ICE agents yesterday while heading to an Iftar dinner in Massachusetts.
Ozturk, who held a valid F-1 visa and studied at Tufts University, was reportedly being watched for two days before her arrest. She was on the phone with her mother when she was arrested.
Her visa had been suddenly terminated with reasons still unclear. Ozturk had co-authored an op-ed urging Tufts to recognize the Palestinian genocide and divest from firms linked to Israel.
She was also listed on Canary Mission, a site that blacklists pro-Palestine activists.
