The Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative launched the Freedom for Öcalan Vigil on 25 June 2012 in Strasbourg, demanding the end of the isolation imposed on the Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan and to ensure his freedom. The Vigil has entered its 511th week.

Members of the Democratic Kurdish Community Center in Toulouse took over the action, which the Kurds in Europe and their friends carry out every week in groups.

Çiğdem Yıldırım, Zelal Yıldız, Mervan Yıldırım and Yusuf Çiftçi are the activist who took the vigil on week 511.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Çiğdem Yıldırım said that they took over the vigil in the week that coincided with 4 April, “a very important date for the Kurds”, the birthday of the Kurdish people’s leader.

Çiğdem Yıldırım said: "We celebrate our leader's 73rd birthday," and added that they consider 4 April as the Free Women's Revolution.

Çiğdem Yıldırım said: “4 April is also the re-birth of the Kurdish people.”

Stating that protecting the vigil means protecting the values ​​themselves, Yıldırım said: "We call on all Kurdish people to protect the vigil and our Leader. If we want another life, this can only be achieved with the freedom of our Leader." The activist stressed that they will never accept the imprisonment of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan and added: "Just as our people in Kurdistan can stand and fight despite everything, we have to stand upright and fight here."