The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil in front of the Council of Europe building in Strasbourg, France, that began on June 25, 2012, is in its 244th week.

Five people from the German cities of Hildesheim and Peine have taken over this week's vigil. Alexander Weist, a German friend of the Kurdish people, is among the participants that have taken the vigil for a week on Sunday.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Burhan Gimgim said they have taken over the vigil in the name of Peine and Hildesheim assemblies, and extended their thanks to the Kurds that supported them.

Gimgim called on the Council of Europe and European Union institutions to not lend a deaf ear to the demands of the Kurdish people, putting emphasis on the potential of the Kurds like other folks in Europe.

The group members called on the European states to adopt a clear stance against AKP fascism, and to not sacrifice the values they have defended for years for economic interests.

Stressing that Kurds will not give up on their demand for the freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, demonstrators laid emphasis on the importance of the freedom perspective put forth by Öcalan for the Kurds and other peoples.

The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil is held in Robertsau district, which is home to the Council of Europe, as well as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the European Parliament (EP), Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and other such institutions. The vigil continues through all 7 days of the week and is the longest-running demonstration held by Kurds without a single day break in between.

The Vigil began on June 25, 2012, and has continued without a pause since then. In every week of the vigil, Öcalan’s thoughts on the struggles of women, Kurds and humanity are promoted. Protestors have reached out to millions of people so far during the vigil that also attracts the attention of tourists visiting Strasbourg.