The abduction of Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk by ICE earlier this week prompted a wave of protest. Yesterday, one Boston local spotted a banner in Davis Square reacting to the Tufts abduction. “Wake-up America!” the banner read. “Fascism is coming to the U.S.A.” American imperialism and oppression were old before Donald Trump. Now they’re bolder. Using secret police to abduct legal residents for protesting genocide? It’s a reality that should give every person in the U.S. pause. While signs like the one in Davis Square may seem insignificant, they help spread a word of warning when many need it.
Tufts Abduction Leads To Somerville Protests
The abduction of Rumeysa Ozturk is just one such detention to shake the U.S. recently. Columbia student protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil was also detained by ICE earlier this month. The Trump administration seems to hope these abductions will discourage others from speaking out. As long as the Palestinian genocide continues, however, there will always be those who speak for the oppressed in Gaza and beyond.
A Reddit post by tantedbutthole about the Davis Square banner and Tufts abduction received over 24k upvotes and numerous supportive comments. One commenter dismissed the banner’s claim that “Fascism Is coming to the U.S.A.,” saying, “Coming? It’s Here. [Sic]” The U.S. government used masked police to detain legal residents for practicing free speech. Another commenter quoted Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, saying,
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant.
The Davis Square sign in Boston is a snapshot of how many are feeling after the Tufts abduction. Rumeysa Ozturk and Mahmoud Khalil have joined a growing list of political prisoners in the U.S. Fascism isn’t on the doorstep. It owns the house.
