STANSTEAD, Quebec (AP) — For more than 100 years, people in Stanstead, Quebec have been able to walk into Derby Line, Vermont to enter the border-straddling Haskell Free Library and Opera House – no passport required.
But municipal and library officials said on Friday that U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to end the century-old unwritten agreement. Coming at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries, the decision is prompting an outpouring of emotion in communities on both sides of the border, which in places has been marked simply by flower pots.
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Byron Wright, left, from Derby, Vermont, gives Pauline Lussier, centre from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont, a hug as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
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Americans offer silent support as they stand on their side of the border to watch a press conference about the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Pauline Lussier, left from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont, hold each other's flags as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
A young girl walks over the Canada-USA international border line into Canada from inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Byron Wright, left, from Derby, Vermont speaks with Pauline Lussier, centre from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Byron Wright, left, from Derby, Vermont, gives Pauline Lussier, centre from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont, a hug as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is seen in Derby Line, Vt., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Penny Thomas who drove from Newport, Vt., has a tear roll down her cheek as she holds a sign on the standing in Derby, Vt., outside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
A family from the United States enters the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vt., on Friday, March 21, 2025. The town of Stanstead, Que., says U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to "close the main Canadian access" to the Victorian-style library that straddles the border between the two countries. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Inside the library celebrated as a symbol of international friendship, Pauline Lussier and Chris Blais put their arms around each other’s shoulders Friday as they stood on either side of the line taped down the floor marking the border. Lussier, a Canadian, and Blais, an American met for the first time that day.
“A line doesn’t separate us, it never has,” said Blais, who held an American flag in her hands while Lussier held a Canadian one.
“Our kids have gone back and forth over this border without any problem at all ... this is all going to change now, and there’s no reason for this,” Blais added.
Once inside the library, Canadian and American citizens have been able to mingle freely across the border line drawn on the floor – as long as they return to the proper country afterward. In 2016, then-president Barack Obama hailed the symbolic importance of the library, built in 1901. “A resident of one of these border towns once said, ‘We’re two different countries, but we’re like one big town,’” Obama said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, confirmed that the divide is about to become more pronounced. Starting in the coming days, only library card holders and employees will be able to cross over from Canada to enter the building through the main door on the U.S. side.
And as of Oct. 1, no Canadians will be able to enter the library via the United States without going through the border checkpoint, though there will be exceptions for law enforcement, emergency services, mail delivery, official workers and those with disabilities.
The statement acknowledged the library as a “unique landmark,” but said the border agency was phasing in a new approach for security reasons.
“Due to the library’s location, and convenience of local populations, CBP has allowed customers of the library to access its sidewalk, without inspection, for decades,” the agency said in a statement. “However, during that time, this area has witnessed a continued rise in illicit cross-border activity.”
It noted there have been a number of incidents in and around the library that resulted in apprehensions in recent years, including a person attempting to smuggle firearms in the past year.
Town and library officials say Canadian visitors without a library card will have to enter by a back door on the Canadian side, across a muddy stretch of grass. The library announced Friday that it was launching a GoFundMe to raise the estimated $100,000 Canadian (US$69,000) it will cost to build a sidewalk, new parking lot and wheelchair access.
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone said the U.S. decision “makes no sense.” However, he said the decision from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration would not affect the close bond between the communities, which share municipal services and facilities.
“No matter what this administration does, it will not change the fact that Stanstead and Derby Line are partners and friends forever,” he said.
Several residents, some in tears, gathered at the border to denounce the decision. Penny Thomas stood on the American side, holding up a sign with a maple leaf on it that said “Keep Haskell open.”
In February, the Boston Globe reported that the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the library and repeated Trump’s taunts about making Canada the 51st state as she stepped back and forth across the line that marks the border.
According to the library’s website, Canadian visitors had been allowed to enter the library by the main entrance on the U.S. side. While passports or visas were not necessary, library officials had warned that U.S. Border Patrol and RCMP would monitor movements and could request to see identification.
Americans offer silent support as they stand on their side of the border to watch a press conference about the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Pauline Lussier, left from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont, hold each other's flags as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
A young girl walks over the Canada-USA international border line into Canada from inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Byron Wright, left, from Derby, Vermont speaks with Pauline Lussier, centre from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
Byron Wright, left, from Derby, Vermont, gives Pauline Lussier, centre from Stanstead, Quebec and Chris Blais from Derby Line, Vermont, a hug as they straddle the international border line inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is seen in Derby Line, Vt., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Penny Thomas who drove from Newport, Vt., has a tear roll down her cheek as she holds a sign on the standing in Derby, Vt., outside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead, Que., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
A family from the United States enters the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vt., on Friday, March 21, 2025. The town of Stanstead, Que., says U.S. authorities have unilaterally decided to "close the main Canadian access" to the Victorian-style library that straddles the border between the two countries. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
ISTANBUL (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside Istanbul city hall Sunday night to protest the arrest of the city’s mayor, a key rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Earlier Sunday, a court formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending the outcome of a trial on corruption charges. His detention Wednesday morning sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade, with large crowds gathering outside city hall for the fifth night in a row. It also deepened concerns over democracy and rule of law in Turkey. His imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major contender from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028. Government officials reject the accusations and insist that Turkey’s courts operate independently. “If you weren’t here today, if you hadn’t rushed here since the first day, if you had yielded to tear gas and barricades, if you had gotten scared and remained at home, then today a caretaker appointed by Tayyip Erdogan would be residing here in this building,” said Ozgur Ozel Sunday night, pointing at city hall as he spoke to the massive crowd chanting anti-government slogans. Ozel is the head of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, to which Imamoglu belongs.
The prosecutor’s office said the court decided to jail Imamoglu on suspicion of running a criminal organization, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging. A request for him to be imprisoned on terror-related charges was rejected although he still faces prosecution. Following the court's ruling, Imamoglu was transferred to Silivri prison, west of Istanbul.
The Interior Ministry later announced that Imamoglu had been suspended from duty as a “temporary measure.” The municipality had previously appointed an acting mayor from its governing council.
Alongside Imamoglu, 47 other people were also jailed pending trial, including a key aide and two district mayors from Istanbul, one of whom was replaced with a government appointee. A further 44 suspects were released under judicial control.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Sunday that 323 people were detained the previous evening over disturbances at protests.
Largely peaceful protests across Turkey have seen hundreds of thousands come out in support of Imamoglu. However, there has been some violence, with police deploying water cannons, tear gas, pepper spray and firing plastic pellets at protesters in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, some of whom hurled stones, fireworks and other missiles at riot police.
The formal arrest came as more than 1.7 million members of the opposition CHP began holding a primary presidential election to endorse Imamoglu, the sole candidate.
The party has also set up symbolic ballot boxes nationwide to allow people who are not party members to express their support for the mayor. Large crowds gathered early Sunday to cast a “solidarity ballot.”
“This is no longer just a problem of the Republican People’s Party, but a problem of Turkish democracy,” Fusun Erben, 69, said at a polling station in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district. “We do not accept our rights being so easily usurped. We will fight until the end.”
Speaking at a polling station in Bodrum, western Turkey, engineer Mehmet Dayanc, 38, said he feared that “in the end we’ll be like Russia, a country without an opposition, where only a single man participates in elections.”
At the time of Sunday night’s protest, the vote count had reached around 15 million people, of which around a little over 13 million were from non-party members voting in solidarity. In a post on social media, Imamoglu praised the result from Silivri Prison, writing that the people had told Erdogan “enough is enough.” “That ballot box will arrive, and the nation will deliver a slap to the administration it will never forget.”
“Honestly, we are embarrassed in the name of our legal system,” Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, a fellow member of Imamoglu’s CHP, told reporters after casting his vote, criticizing the lack of confidentiality in the proceedings.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said Imamoglu’s imprisonment was reminiscent of “Italian mafia methods.” Speaking at Istanbul City Hall, he added: “Imamoglu is on the one hand in prison and on the other hand on the way to the presidency.”
The Council of Europe, which focuses on promoting human rights and democracy, slammed the decision and demanded Imamoglu's immediate release.
The German government called the mayor's imprisonment “a serious setback for democracy in Turkey," adding that “political competition must not be conducted with courts and prisons.”
Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and an author of a biography of Erdogan, said the president was “determined to do whatever it takes to end Imamoglu’s career.”
Before his detention, Imamoglu had already faced multiple criminal cases that could result in prison sentences and a political ban. He was also appealing a 2022 conviction for insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council.
Earlier in the week, a university nullified his diploma, citing alleged irregularities in his transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus some 30 years ago. The decision effectively bars him from running for president, since the position requires candidates to be university graduates. Imamoglu had vowed to challenge the decision.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. Erdogan’s party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won.
The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.
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Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers use pepper spray to clear protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers use pepper spray to clear protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers use anti riot rifles and pepper spray to clear protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officer uses an anti riot rifle to clear protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Protesters cover their faces as riot police officers use pepper spray against them during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
A protester kicks a flare against riot policemen during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers use pepper spray to clear protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
A protester gives a flower to riot police officers during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
A protester holds up banner during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Protesters face off riot policemen during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Protesters face off riot policemen during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers stand guard during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Protesters face off riot policemen during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A protester sprays fire against riot policemen during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Riot police officers use pepper spray to clear a protester during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
Protesters shout slogans during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Protesters shout slogans during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
People cast their ballots in a Republican People's Party or (CHP) polling station during a symbolic election to show solidarity with Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu after he was arrested, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
People cast their ballots in a Republican People's Party or (CHP) polling station during a symbolic election to show solidarity with Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu after he was arrested, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
People cast their ballots in a Republican People's Party or (CHP) polling station during a symbolic election to show solidarity with Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu after he was arrested, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
People cast their ballots in a Republican People's Party or (CHP) polling station during a symbolic election to show solidarity with Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu after he was arrested, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Huseyin Aldemir)
A man attaches a large banner of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in a tree in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 20, 2025, during a protest against the arrest of Imamoglu. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)
Fireworks thrown by protesters explode over riot police during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A protester sits on her knees as riot police stand guard during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A protester holds a flare next to riot police officers during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A protester holds a Turkish flag as riot police stand guard during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Riot police use pepper spray to clear a protester during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
