Kurds in Europe have been in a permanent vigil action in front of Council of Europe since 25 June 2012 to ask the European Council, European Parliament, European Union countries and western countries like the USA to "stop their political, military and economic support to Turkey, for the freedom of the Kurdish Leader Mr Abdullah Ocalan and for the recognition of the Kurdish peoples’ status in all parts of Kurdistan".

The vigil action, which came after the Geneva-Strasbourg Long March in the winter and the 52-day-long hunger strike in Strasbourg last March, continues in the 44th week with five demonstrators from the German city of Kiel having taken over the one-week alternate vigil from another group from the city of Oldenburg.

Seyidxan Ciziri, one of the demonstrators in the new group, said that they would be collecting signatures during their vigil action in the scope of the international signature campaign for freedom for Öcalan.

The Vigil will continue until Mr Abdullah Öcalan is released and obtains his freedom, say the organizers, ‘Freedom for Öcalan Initiative activists and Geneva-Strasbourg marchers’, pointing out that "with this event, we wish to express that we feel with each passing day we will progress Mr Öcalan closer to freedom and due to this, as foremost being the Kurdish women, men, teens, kids, and revolutionaries, intellectuals, democrats and progressivists from Turkey as well as friends of Kurdish people, we will be watching at the Vigil Point in front of Council of Europe".