SOMERVILLE —Mayor Katjana Ballantyne of Somerville, joined by fellow Massachusetts elected officials, is calling for the immediate release of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, currently being held in federal immigration detention.
Ms. Öztürk, an international student, appears to have been detained for expressing her views, views protected under the First Amendment for citizens and immigrants alike. In a joint statement initiated by Mayor Ballantyne, the signers underscore that freedom of speech and due process are foundational democratic principles that must be upheld without exception.
“…we call for the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk and the restoration of her student visa, not only so that she may return to her studies and contribute to our communities but so that we as a great country can honor our democratic systems, protect our liberty, and uphold the law,” says the statement.
Co-signers include all members of the Somerville State Delegation, all members of the Somerville City Council and Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn.
The full statement is as follows:
Massachusetts Elected Officials Joint Call for the Release of
Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk
As elected representatives and regional leaders for the state, districts, and City in which international student Rümeysa Öztürk is lawfully carrying out her studies, we jointly call for her immediate release from federal immigration detention.
Ms. Öztürk appears to have been detained by federal agents for voicing her views—opinions that are constitutionally protected free speech for citizens and immigrants alike. Our Constitution does not require that we all agree with one another’s free speech, but the rule of law that it undergirds requires that we uphold freedom of expression for all—as well as due process. Ms. Öztürk thus appears to be a political detainee in a democracy that does not—and should not—allow for such oppression.
We must as a nation uphold our freedoms and civil liberties not just for some, but for all. The erosion of rights for one opens the door to the erosion of rights for all. Based on what we know and there being no criminal violations, we call for the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk and the restoration of her student visa, not only so that she may return to her studies and contribute to our communities but so that we as a great country can honor our democratic systems, protect our liberty, and uphold the law.
Katjana Ballantyne
Mayor, City of Somerville
Patricia Jehlen
Massachusetts State Senator
Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Mayor, City of Medford
Christine P. Barber
Massachusetts State Representative
Mike Connolly
Massachusetts State Representative
Erika Uyterhoeven
Massachusetts State Representative
Judy Pineda Neufeld
City Council President and Ward Seven City Councilor, City of Somerville
Lance L. Davis
City Council Vice President and Ward Six City Councilor, City of Somerville
Willie Burnley Jr.
City Councilor At-Large, City of Somerville
Wilfred N. Mbah
City Councilor At-Large, City of Somerville
Kristen Strezo
City Councilor At-Large, City of Somerville
Jake Wilson
City Councilor At-Large, City of Somerville
Matthew McLaughlin
Ward One City Councilor, City of Somerville
Jefferson Thomas (J.T.) Scott
Ward Two City Councilor, City of Somerville
Ben Ewen-Campen
Ward Three City Councilor, City of Somerville
Jesse Clingan
Ward Four City Councilor, City of Somerville
Naima Sait Ward Five City Councilor, City of Somerville
Press Release
Who: Extinction Rebellion Boston Activists, who have made national news for non-violent direct action protests.
What: Disrupted Rep Seth Moulton (D-MA) during his presentation at Tufts University until they were removed, while demanding Democrats do more to fight back against the Trump administration.
Where: Distler Performance Hall on Tufts University campus
When: Monday April 7 at 12 pm
Contact: Virginia (she/her) | 857-209-8320 | xrboston.media@gmail.com
Photo and Video Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1v-jYo-Gs_1sVmz3KMY1e15VLii_iEYUr?usp=drive_link
Additional information is available upon request
Protesters Disrupt Rep Seth Moulton to Defend Free Speech on Campus
Medford, MA — Members of the global grassroots movement Extinction Rebellion disrupted a speech by Rep Seth Moulton (D-MA) on Monday at Tufts University to demand that Rep. Moulton and congressional democrats get off the sidelines and take decisive action in defense of free speech and democracy against the authoritarian and unconstitutional behavior of the Trump administration.
The abduction last month of Tufts PhD student and columnist Rumeysa Ozturk by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents demonstrates the clear and present danger of Trump’s intention to stifle dissent, demonize immigrants, and consolidate power with complete disregard for legal process. Simultaneously the Trump administration is tearing apart the federal government taking away benefits, programs, and research Americans depend on to survive. This takeover threatens the small progress the United States has made towards stopping the climate crisis, putting millions of lives on the line.
The protesters took the stage while Rep. Moulton was speaking, unfurled a banner reading “Defend Free Speech: Free Rumeysa Oszturk”. The group refused to leave until they were removed from the hall by police, while chanting “Words don’t stop fascists, get up off your asses.”
“We are tired of speeches, statements, and false promises. Today we are sending a clear message to the Massachusetts congressional delegation and federal Democrats across the county: fight back or fuck off” said Martin Gioannetti, one of the activists who took the stage. Democrats have failed to rise up against the threat of fascism posed by the Trump administration. In March, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer failed to hold the line, voting with Republicans to keep the government open, caving to Trump. In January, 3 Democrats voted with Republicans to confirm Trump’s pick to lead the EPA, Lee Zeldin. Zeldin has gutted environmental rules and moved to fire hundreds of federal workers. Without public pressure, Democrats will continue to give President Trump blank checks on power.
Rep. Moulton has positioned himself as a critic of the Trump administration’s worst abuses of power, but he has failed to match this criticism with substantive opposition proportional to the severity of the threat. As a Captain in The United States Marine Corp, Moulton took an oath to defend the Constitution from all threats, foreign and domestic. The actions of the Trump administration empowering Elon Musk to eviscerate legally-established government programs and weaponizing the institutions of state power against opposition are clearly such a threat. It is a dereliction of duty to imagine that stern statements of disapproval are an adequate response to the administration’s disregard for the rule of law.
Members of Extinction Rebellion Boston (XR Boston) are especially focused on defending free speech this year, as they prepare to enter a series of legal trials in the Concord District Court. 21 XR Boston activists were arrested last April at Hanscom Airfield while protesting the proposed expansion of Hanscom’s private jet capacity. The especially harsh legal response to these non-violent climate activists illustrates a national crackdown against free speech and the right to protest, which aligns with the un-american treatment of Rumeysa Ozturk.
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Extinction Rebellion Boston is an autonomous chapter of the international grassroots movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), which started in London in 2018. The purpose of XR is to tell the truth about how dire the ecological and climate crises are and spark immediate action in order to prevent climate and ecological collapse. We aim to mobilize people around the world to utilize nonviolent direct action to demand that governments take radical action to avert societal collapse caused by widespread climate and ecological disaster and to protect frontline communities, biodiversity, and the natural world. This movement is non-political and unites all of humanity behind a singular goal of a just and livable future for all. Learn more about Extinction Rebellion at: xrboston.org
XR Boston’s recruiting, training, and capacity building is supported by the Climate Emergency Fund, which strategically supports ultra-ambitious organizations demanding solutions to the climate crisis at emergency speed.