Turkish diaspora stages 'Free Imamoğlu' protests across US cities

Turkish citizens living in the United States organized coordinated demonstrations on the 500th day of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s detention. Protests were held in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where volunteers from the 19 March Platform read a joint statement condemning the curtailment of free expression, the arrest of journalists, lawyers, students, artists, academics, politicians and ordinary citizens in Turkey.

In Los Angeles a star bearing İmamoğlu’s name was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while in New York a large digital billboard at Times Square displayed a portrait of İmamoğlu alongside Özgür Özel with the caption “Sonsuza Kadar Beraber”. An LED‑covered truck travelled past the United Nations and the Turkish House, broadcasting messages such as “Democracy is imprisoned in Turkey – Freedom for İmamoğlu”. The organizers distributed an English‑language report summarising the 500‑day campaign to the international public.