Chicago, IL – On March 13, over 150 students, staff and faculty members at the University of Illinois-Chicago rallied in front of their administration building to protest budget cuts which threaten five majors, non-tenured faculty, and cultural programs. The emergency protest was called to demand funding for education and a “chop from the top” model, as inflated admin salaries were called to attention. The protest had support from a broad collection of student organizations, faculty and local activists.

Speaking on behalf of Student for a Democratic Society at UIC, Jeremiah Munoz kicked things off by stating, “Instead of cutting out classes, cut the bloated administrator salaries, not our education! Don’t play with our future for that bloated salary. Stop funneling money into police while students struggle to afford tuition. Invest in our cultural centers, our language programs, our communities—not in executives who do nothing but approve cuts to education while collecting a premium salary.”

Next was Liz Rathburn, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who stated, “UIC can find the money to advertise its diversity, it can find the money to raise the salaries of its admin, it can find the money to fund its own police force and it can even find money to buy new real estate, but when students and faculty need support, when it comes to funding what actually makes our university great, admin pleads poverty.”

Ending the rally on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, April Rogers stated, “UIC is probably paying a lot to bring military recruiters on campus. They are probably paying a lot to have the CIA, the FBI, and even the State Department come to campus, as has happened multiple times since the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. UIC also gives millions of dollars to companies involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including Boeing and Caterpillar. In 2023, this alone amounted to $21 million. Instead, UIC goes after cultural and language studies.”

Speakers from the Italian Club, Eastern European Student Association and Housing Staff United made it clear that the budget cuts are targeting the entire student body, and a cultural performance during the rally demonstrated the importance of preserving cultural studies and programs at UIC.

Although UIC administration forced the protest to move locations at the very last minute, students, staff and faculty remained undeterred. Despite the change in location, over 150 people marched through the campus chanting, demanding proper funding for education.

The protest was endorsed by Anakbayan, Sokoly, Housing Staff United, Eastern European Student Association, Italian Club, New Students for a Democratic Society. Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#ChicagoIL #StudentMovement #SDS #Anakbayan #Sokoly #HousingStaffUnited #EasternEuropeanStudentAssociation #ItalianClub #SJP #FRSO

New Orleans, LA – On Wednesday, March 19, a broad group of activists congregated at Tulane University for a press conference. The groups presented an open letter addressed to the administrations of all local universities demanding they protect students, staff and faculty from the White House’s recent slew of attacks against college campuses. They demanded protections for immigrants, freedom of speech and DEI programs.

“We are united in our commitment to justice, human dignity and freedom,” said Hakm Murad of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

The letter also calls for universities to demand the immediate release of pro-Palestine activists and New York ‘s Columbia University students Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia, and that students be protected from any similar violations by the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration. Mahmoud Khalil continues to be held in an ICE detention center at Jena, Louisiana. Washington DC’s Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri was also detained by ICE and sent to a detention facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. Suri’s detention is a continuation of Trump’s stated goals of targeting and deporting pro-Palestinian students and faculty at universities.

Tulane and Loyola University's repression of student activists since last year has given the solidarity movement for Khalil particular urgency. Tulane complied with new directives from the White House and shut down the school’s DEI office. But student activists bravely stood up to defend DEI.

In reaction, the university arrested (and later released) one activist due to a pro-DEI sign on her backpack. Also, minutes before the March 19 press conference, several Tulane student protesters received notice that they were under investigation by administration.

“It is no coincidence the emails were sent out right as we were set to raise awareness about Tulane’s cowardly compliance with the racist Trump agenda and its attacks on students’ freedom of speech at this press conference,” said Maya Sanchez, a former Tulane student, reading a statement written by local members of Students for a Democratic Society.

Tulane alumni and member of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police Vonne Burton added, “DEI programs were won by students during the Civil Rights Movement, any student who defends it today should be applauded, not arrested.”

The open letter circulated by the New Orleans for Palestine Coalition has received notable public support. Signatories include multiple contenders for the upcoming city council elections, as well as current council member and mayoral candidate, Oliver Thomas. The organizations say they are continuing to urge Louisiana’s U.S. Representative Troy Carter, and the remaining members of the city council to sign on and take action to defend local campuses.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #FreeSpeech #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – On March 10, Louisiana State University (LSU) students and Baton Rouge community members rallied on LSU’s campus in Free Speech Alley for International Women’s Day.

In light of Trump's attacks on immigrants, one of the demands put forth by students was to put an end to the mass deportations and family separations. Students also called on the LSU administration to declare the university a sanctuary campus.

Lauren Roberie of Students for a Democratic Society at LSU said, “If Trump was truly pro-life, he would not consistently dehumanize and denigrate the undocumented American population. We have to continue to condemn these inhumane actions and urge LSU to stop complying with ICE.”

One of Trump’s many targets in academia have been diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. His administration is forcing universities to remove any DEI statements from their policies or lose all federal funding. “Diversity equity and inclusion is now a cover term for Black,” said Laramie Griffin of Evolve Louisiana, highlighting the racist origins and consequences of these attacks on universities and workplaces.

DEI erasure has also made its way to LSU. Library faculty were forced to remove any webpage with the word “diversity,” including articles on ecological biodiversity. Additionally, some African culture clubs were told members are not allowed to wear their organization’s emblems at graduation.

As protesters chanted, they occupied Echo Circle in Free Speech Alley and demanded the LSU administration not comply with Trump’s orders. Organizers at the rally declared that the people of Baton Rouge will continue to fight back against Trump’s attacks and defend women and queer rights.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #WomensMovement #SDS #EvolveLouisiana

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Together United Students for a Democratic Society.

On March 17th Tulane University arrested one of its students for speaking up in defense of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Last week, Tulane University closed its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion office. A Tulane student, in response to their school’s cowardly compliance with the racist Trump agenda, wore a paper sign on their backpack saying “Tulane just got rid of DEI… If you have the means, go elsewhere.”

While in the LBC, Tulane’s student center, they heard a member of Tulane’s administration comment on their bag. After briefly forgetting their bag in the student center, Tulane reported a bomb threat as an excuse to remove it from its place near an ongoing admissions event.

When the student returned for their bag, they were arrested by the Tulane University Police Department. TUPD went on to detain them and intimidate them despite having no criminal charges against them. This student was arrested because of their political speech in a clear violation of the First Amendment. Police officers continued to coerce and intimidate them while they were detained. TUPD threatened that if they did not comply with interrogation immediately, their silence would lead to university conduct charges that could end their education at Tulane.

Earlier this month a similar false bomb threat was reported by Barnard University to clear a student protest. Tulane’s cowardice in the face of political speech from its students only grows, but the students will not be silenced! Whether it is an individual exercising their free speech or an organized student protest, universities have no right to use police to silence their students!

Protect Free Speech on Campus! Defend DEI!

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #SDS

Seattle, WA – On March 12, around 50 students and workers gathered to confront the University of Washington Board of Regents and demand no ICE on campus, divestment from Israel, and the protection of transgender students. The board had cancelled its original full meeting but kept a scheduled committee meeting at the same time, which included a vote on divestment from Israel.

UW Students for a Democratic Society, WFSE Local 1495, and the Western State Carpenters gathered and delivered speeches in front of Dempsey Hall. Paula Lukaszek, the president of WFSE Local 1495, said “one of the reasons I’m here is I’m supporting the people at the encampment.” Lukaszek continued, “the university promised them things if the university would remove their encampment, and they didn’t.

We need to hold the university accountable to what they said.” Asha Viswanathan, a member of UW SDS, drew connections between the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil in New York and the response of the University of Washington: “Columbia administration instructs students to call campus security if they see ICE on campus, just as Cauce instructed us,” she said, referring to the president of UW. “We are here demanding know-your-rights trainings for UW employees and residential advisors, demanding divestment and demanding that this university protect its students.”

Once word had come that the board of regents was assembled and their meeting was beginning, the crowd went inside to make their voices heard.

After entering the building, students and union members waited outside the entrance to the regents’ meeting. There was a heavy police presence, and the chief of the UW Police Department, Craig Wilson, told protesters to move out of a hallway. Protesters asked if the regents saw students as a threat to them; the police chief said no, then again said that students would not be allowed to be near administrators as they entered the meeting.

SDS members then found the vice president for campus safety, Sally Clark, who controls the police department. A community member asked if UW should be a sanctuary campus. Sally Clark rejected the demand, claiming that because the city of Seattle was already a sanctuary city, the University of Washington did not need to do anything further.

SDS members proceeded to fill the board of regents meeting, holding up handmade signs. Despite the administration calling State Patrol and placing cops at every entrance to the building, students were not intimidated. As the board began its discussion of divesting from Israel, SDS members held up a banner demanding divestment as the crowd in the room angrily protested the regents’ excuses against divestment. In the end, the regents voted against divestment, claiming it would be too divisive.

At the end of the meeting, SDS members raced to find the president and provost walking out of the building. As students questioned what administration was doing to protect immigrants and trans students, and why it was moving to lay off grad students, President Ana Mari Cauce remained silent as police escorted her to a car.

#SeattleWA #WA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS

Tampa, FL – On March 12, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society led a protest to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, who is under the threat of deportation as the U.S. pushes to revoke his green card.

Khalil is a Columbia University graduate who had participated in the nationwide pro-Palestinian encampments on his campus. He was arrested when ICE agents entered his home, taking him into custody in front of his wife, without his having been charged with any crime.

Khalil’s case is a clear threat to students and community who choose to participate in pro-Palestine protests, something the students of the University of South Florida are familiar with.

At the Tampa protest on Fowler Avenue, SDS member Joseph Charry spoke about his experience with USF. Charry was hit with a suspension from the university while out of the country, with FSU claiming he was responsible for the violence that occurred after police tear-gassed and arrested students during the nationwide solidarity encampments.

Charry stated, “At no point during my suspension process did any USF administration officials help me figure out what I should do, or what would happen to my student visa, or if I was effectively being deported from the country”

Charry was eventually forced to leave the country in September of 2024 to avoid any future complications. Charry was eventually able to return. He states, “Neither me nor Mahmoud or any other international student should be deported for standing up for Palestine”

A crowd of about 50 community members, including members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Tampa Bay Activist United, Party for Socialism and Liberation and others, joined students in a march in front of the University of South Florida with speeches demanding for the release of Khalil and the stop to the repression of pro-Palestinian solidarity actions under Trump.

As both the Trump administration and Universities crack down on what they deem “antisemitism” and “Hamas sympathizers,” these students remain steadfast in their support for the Palestinian community.

Tampa Bay SDS remains an expelled organization at USF; however the students say, “SDS will continue to fight on the right side of history.”

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #MahmoudKhalil #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, March 11, the local Palestine solidarity movement sprang into action to demand the release of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian illegally detained by ICE last week for his role in the Palestine-solidarity encampment at Columbia University. Although Khalil is a resident of New York, he was transported to a detention facility four hours away from the city of New Orleans, Jena, Louisiana for holding.

Activists rapidly mobilized a press conference, phone zap, and demonstrations, making it clear to the Trump administration and ICE that the movement in Louisiana will fight for Khalil’s release.

Press conference and phone zap calls on Representative Troy Carter to take action

At noon, six organizations spoke at an emergency press conference in front of Louisiana Representative Troy Carter’s downtown office demanding that he pushes for the release of Khalil and the reinstatement of his green card. The New Orleans for Palestine Coalition organized a day-long phone zap to ring his office.

Majdi Jaber of the New Orleans chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement reiterated the Coalition’s demand for Troy Carter to “align his actions with his words and meet with the Palestinian Youth, our elders, and our coalition partners, and also to join [Congresswoman] Rashida Tlaib and 13 other colleagues in the House in signing a letter that formally calls for the release of Mahmoud Khalil.”

Rory MacDonald, a Tulane student suspended for participationin a university encampment for Gaza, spoke on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). MacDonald said that Trump and his administration “are under the impression that they can get away with things in Louisiana that they cannot get away with in New York. We are here to tell them that they are dead wrong. The people and the students in New Orleans and Louisiana are watching, and we are going to raise hell in this city until Mahmoud Khalil is free!”

Troy Carter’s office has since released a statement condemning Trump’s attacks on students, stating, “I stand firmly against the misuse of federal power to suppress free speech. I am committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and will continue to push back against any effort that undermines the Constitution.”

Students take the streets in solidarity, demand sanctuary policies for immigrants

Later in the day at 4:30 p.m., over 100 people rallied and took to the streets demanding Khalil’s release and that Tulane and Loyola Universities declare themselves sanctuary campuses and refuse to comply with ICE. The rally began with chants like “Don’t give in to racist fears, immigrants are welcome here!” and “We want justice, you say how: free Mahmoud Khalil now!”

Student speeches called out their universities’ failures to protect immigrant students and explained why their demands must be met.

“In 2016 when students first organized to fight for this very struggle, the Tulane Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution in favor of sanctuary. However, Tulane ignored them,” ​said Navya Prakash, a member of Together United SDS. Prakash elaborated that sanctuary policies would make it so that universities would not disclose information about students’immigration statuses to ICE, and not permit ICE on campus without a warrant.

Protesters then marched down to Saint Charles Avenue, a major roadway and home to both Tulane and Loyola University. The action halted traffic and occupied the street as Nadir Benslimane, a member of Liberate and Unite New Orleans SDS, spoke out against the purpose of political repression against activists.

Benslimane stated, “The goal of the Trump administration right now is to ensure that no one can use their free speech to speak out against the injustices that Trump and his cronies are committing here or supporting abroad.” The Trump administration has particularly targeted universities with threats to end federal funding for those that maintain their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Students then relocated to the sidewalk in front of Loyola University, chanting “Loyola, don’t comply, we are keeping DEI!” The protest concluded with calls to join one of the many organizations present to continue struggling for their demands to be met.

#NewOrleansLA #NOLA #LoyolaUniversity #LOYNO #Trump #PYM #FreePalestine #FreeMahmoudKhalil #MahmoudKhalil #SDS #ICE #TulaneUniversity #Loyola #Tulane

Orlando, FL – On March 8, the Orlando district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) held a spoken word and trivia fundraiser to commemorate International Women’s Day and gather the Orlando community in the face of recent attacks on women. The slogans raised at the event were “Defend Women’s and Reproductive Rights,” “Stand with the Women of Palestine” and “Stop the Deportations! Keep Families Together.”

Cassia Laham, member of FRSO Orlando, kicked off the event by explaining the history of International Women’s Day and the current situation of women stating, “Today, women of all sectors of society face renewed attacks by the forces of reaction, with Trump and his cabinet full of abusers and women-haters leading the charge against our rights.” She continued, “Just as we fought before, we will fight again!”

Other speakers focused on varied topics. Rasha Mubarak of Florida Palestine Network spoke of the struggle of Palestinian women, and two teenage organizers with the Farmworkers Association of Florida discussed the impact of deportations on their community. Chants of “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” rang throughout the building.

Vanessa Christaldi of the University of Central Florida Students for a Democratic Society read a poem focused on the ownership of one’s body and the inspiration of women resistance fighters. “What is the right way to have a body? And more importantly, what is the right way to assert that I am more than that?” She ended her poem with an acknowledgment that all of the rights women have today, both domestically and internationally are won through struggle, not simply given.

After the speeches, an International Women’s Day-themed trivia, hosted by Sarah of Feisty Trivia, was held with proceeds going to the Palestinian Motherhood Society. The Florida Palestine Network sold tatreez with proceeds also going to the Palestinian Motherhood Society. The total fundraised was announced as $920, with cheers from the audience.

The co-sponsoring organizations were the Florida Palestine Network (FPN), the University of Central Florida Students for a Democratic Society (UCFSDS), The End to Genocide Coalition (ETGC), The Farmworkers Association of Florida (FWAF), and the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC). The trivia was led by Sarah of Feisty Trivia, Orlando's Only Female-Owned Trivia Company. The event was a broad multi-generational event filled with community members and organizers commemorating International Women’s Day.

#OrlandoFL #FL #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS #FPN #FRSO #ETGC #PFC

Minneapolis, MN – On March 11, over 300 people protested in front of the Federal Building downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the Trump administration’s criminalization of the pro-Palestine student movement at U.S. The protest was a part of Student for a Democratic Society’s call for a National Day of Action in solidarity with Khalil.

On the evening of March 8, the Department of Homeland Security detained Palestinian Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil. This was the first detention after Trump ordered the State Department to deport students for pro-Palestine activism. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a green card holder, and his arrest is an unlawful violation of freedom of speech and immigration laws.

Trump’s Executive Order 13899 requires “the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with each other […] report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”

On February 28, The Department of Justice announced that a federal task force to “Combat Antisemitism” would visit ten college campuses that “experienced incidents of antisemitism.” Trump’s administration conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and criminalizes students, staff and faculty who have protested a deadly genocide that has killed over 48,000 people in Gaza. This is a discrimination against Muslim, Palestinian and Middle Eastern students, faculty and staff. Columbia University and University of Minnesota are among campuses under investigation.

Crista Ocampo, an organizer with the MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke to the crowd, “We condemn this egregious case of political repression at the hands of ICE. ICE officers have terrorized communities across the country for far too long and now they are being used as a tool by Trump to further repress the Palestine movement. Shame! We won’t let them get away with this. Just look at the hard fought battle SDS put up and won against their administration to get the suspensions dropped for the Halimy Hall students. When our oppressors’ attacks become more blatant, it only makes it easier for us to unite with each other on the path to justice. We will never stop fighting because we know that that’s how we win.”

Lina Jebara, an organizer with the MN Anti-War Committee, closed out the protest, “These acts of political repression – of plucking community leaders from movements, of threatening organizers with unconstitutional deportations or with phony felony charges, as we’ve seen here in our community – are not new for this country. These are deliberate actions taken to make us fear retaliation for standing up against depraved injustices, to push us towards acquiescence. We’re out here today, after witnessing months of harrowing genocide in Palestine carried out by Israel on our dime, to say that these tactics do not and will not work on us.”

The protest was organized by the MN Anti-War Committee, UMN Educators for Justice in Palestine, UMN Students for a Democratic Society, and endorsed by UMN Students for Justice in Palestine, Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, and American Muslims for Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #Trump #SDS #MNAWC #SJP #MIRAC #JVP #AMP

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from UMN Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

On March 10, after 10 days of deliberation, the University of Minnesota’s panel for the disciplinary hearing of the students arrested during the occupation of Halimy Hall decided that the student protestors were found not responsible for the unjust charges of violation of local, state or federal laws, theft, property damage, and vandalism because of the absolute lack of evidence.

The sanctions decided by the panelists involve a one-year disciplinary probation, 40 hours of community service, prohibition of entry to Morrill Hall for one year, and a restorative justice resolution that will involve writing a letter to the Morrill Hall employees impacted by the protest and engaging in a listening circle with them. All students were offered a restorative justice option instead of punitive justice.

The dropping of suspensions and restitutions, as well as the panel finding the protestors not guilty on a majority of the initial Student Code violations, is a huge win for pro-Palestinian student activism. The panel also notably found the protestors not guilty of violating local, state, or federal laws, further delineating the illegitimacy of the current bogus felony charges on protestor Robyn Harbison. This is especially meaningful coming after Rebecca Cunningham’s most recent email to the university body, stating that the university will fully comply with the Anti-Defamation League’s investigation into anti-semitism on the university campus.

We are in a moment of increased political repression and fear, people are becoming afraid to use their voice to protest the injustices around them. In this moment, it is especially vital that we keep standing up and protesting Trump’s attacks and that we keep fighting for Palestinian liberation. The hearing results constitute a major victory for the entire student movement, but we must keep fighting against the repression that is rampant on campuses across the country, especially following the kidnapping of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil by ICE. We will continue to stand up and support all protesters facing unjust repression because as long as our University or country remains complicit in genocide it is our duty to fight back.

While the University and Rebecca Cunningham continue to preemptively appeal to Zionist bodies and Trump’s increasingly repressive executive orders, the students and the pro-Palestine movement stand strong. When placed under the intense scrutiny of a proper legal procedure and the strong support of the community to back the students, the university’s case crumbled due to a lack of evidence. Despite every effort to harass and intimidate the students into a guilty verdict, the university’s attempt to capitulate to Zionism failed.

During an era of heightened repression for student activists, including the involuntary detainment of pro-Palestinian foreign student activists by the Department of Homeland Security, it is vitally important for students to continue showing up to fight for Palestine and to fight for their fellow students. As we continue to see increased repression against people’s movements at large, we must remember to stay loud about our repression because this victory was only possible thanks to the tireless struggle of the students and the community at large.

We will continue to struggle against all political repression and for a free Palestine!

Dare to struggle!

Dare to win!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #FreeSpeech #SDS #Statement

Austin, TX – On the afternoon of March 8, International Women’s Day, around 400 people rallied in downtown Austin in front of the Texas State Capitol building.

The rally kicked off with co-emcee Minx Leal calling out to the crowd, “All right, are y’all ready to scream?” Met with loud cheers, Leal led the crowd in a round of chants, including “Gay, straight, Black, white, one struggle, one fight!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Greg Abbott go away!”

As the rally continued, strong gusts of wind brought a chill in, but that did not dampen the energy of the crowd. People both young and old, students and families, huddled together to listen to passionate speeches given by Austin students and community members.

Jules Lattimore, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, gave a speech that received many cheers throughout, stating, “Our system is unable to make real progress. Even when women and LGBTQ+ folks have won legislative victories, millions of women all around the world have been killed by U.S. bombs, starved by U.S. sanctions, suffered under U.S. puppet regimes, shoved into U.S. sweatshops, and exploited and trafficked by wealthy American men. Capitalism is unable to bring about the liberation of women.”

Lattimore continued, “It’s not all doom and gloom, however, and it is not hopeless. International Women’s Day was created not only to expose the dysfunctional evils of capitalism, but to fight for a better world. We need socialism.”

Later in the program, a group of women sang a Mexican song, Canción sin miedo (Song Without Fear), slightly changing the lyrics to honor the women of Palestine, Congo, and all immigrant mothers whose families are threatened by Trump’s call for mass deportations. The crowd cheered as the women sang:

“Que tiemble el Estado, los cielos, las calles,

Que teman los jueces y los judiciales.

Hoy a las mujeres nos quitan la calma.

Nos sembraron miedo, nos crecieron alas.”

(May the State, the sky, the streets tremble,

may the judges and policemen be afraid.

Today, peace is taken away from us women.

They sowed fear in us, we grew wings.)

Co-emcee Aidan Magner, of Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), closed the rally with a call for everyone to continue the struggle by joining an organization, such as SDS, that is fighting back against the many attacks from the Trump administration.

#AustinTX #TX #WomensMovement #StudentMovement #InternationalWomensDay #SDS

Chicago, IL – On Thursday February 27, over 100 students at the University of Illinois Chicago walked out of classes to protest racist Republican attacks on immigrants. The walk out was called by the UIC chapter of New Students for a Democratic Society as part of a national SDS week of action to demand ICE off campus, no deportations, and legalization for all.

Miles Liang, a freshman at UIC, kicked things off, stating, “If admins across the country were made to stand with their students. Not only would this make each campus safer – it would be a mighty blow against Trump’s administration. Coordinated days of protest such as this one show the unity of the student movement, and they grow the social movement which will protect our communities.”

Next was a member of Anakbayan, the Filipino patriotic youth organization, who spoke about the roots of immigration and U.S. intervention: “Many of these Filipinos did not come here in search of the so-called ‘American Dream.’ They came to escape the harsh realities of joblessness, poverty and the lack of economic mobility in the Philippines – realities that are a direct result of U.S. imperialism, militarism and interference in the political and economic affairs of their homeland.”

Speaking for Students for Justice in Palestine, Yusuf Masood, said, “Just like how a year ago Palestinian students were expected to study while their own relatives were being killed, today many latine and immigrant students are expected to continue their schoolwork while their family members or themselves or at risk of deportation and incarceration. SJP, the students and the people stand with our fellow immigrant comrades and know that Palestine is not free until we all are.“

Speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Gio Arujo, stated, “We in the FRSO have been knowing that this is what the U.S. is about. That democracy in the United States is truly only a democracy for the billionaires in this country. And that when this system of oppression fails repeatedly on all of us, they seek to find the scapegoat to continue operating this democracy for the few. And we know that this so-called democracy has never worked for the many of us.”

Luna Fernanda speaking for Mexican Students de Aztlan, emphasized the personal toll these racist attacks on immigrants have taken, speaking to her own experience and highlighting the case of Jocelyn Rojo Carranza, an 11-year-old girl with undocumented parents who took her own life due to racist bullying from her classmates.

Fernanda said “Hate is a disease, hate is an epidemic and hate stalks its way into schools where it then destroys the spirits of young marginalized children. How many kids have to die until people start to care about us?”

The final speaker, Alicia Ribeiro, a representative speaking for Sanctuary for All, a newly launched immigrant rights group on campus, led the crowd in reciting lines to use if they were stopped by an ICE officer. The crowd in unison repeated “Am I under arrest?” and “Am I free to go?” before the speaker ended with a call for UIC to properly label private spaces like classrooms so that ICE could not legally enter without a judicial warrant.

After the first round of speakers, members of SDS read poems written about the struggle of undocumented immigrants and the struggle against U.S. imperialism in Latin America. After these cultural performances, students marched to the main administrative building on campus. Students rallied at the bottom of the 28-story tower as university administrators and half a dozen officers from the Chicago Police Department watched and took notes.

Ariana Vega ended the program, stating, “UIC prides itself on claims of being a sanctuary campus, yet they jeopardize the safety of their students by allowing ICE on campus as long as they have a judicial warrant! UIC loves spouting pretty words that paint the picture of a perfect campus, yet they continue to make these words nothing but false promises. As their students are under attack, UIC protects them with a shield made out of paper and pretends as if that is enough.”

Vega continued, “We are here to demand better from UIC! We demand that UIC chop from the top and cut admins salary! We demand that UIC does not bend under the will of the Trump administration! We will fight against this racist, sexist, anti-gay administration and we will refuse to lose. In the face of the fight against hate and bigotry the people will never lose. We will never back down, and we will never give up; we demand our schools do the same.”

14 other student and community groups endorsed the protest. Campus based groups endorsing were, Mexican Students de Aztlan, Students for Justice in Palestine, Housing Staff United (OPEIU Local 39), Indigenous Grad Student Association, Jewish Student Collective, Sanctuary for All, Latinos Unidos, Anakbayan UIC, Socialist Alternative UIC, and the Public Health Alliance. Citywide groups included the Immigrant Rights Work Team of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, The Black Alliance for Peace, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #SDS #UIC #ImmigrantRights

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from by UMN SDS.

On the second day of the Halimy Hall suspension hearings there were three big takeaways.

Witnesses inside Halimy hall state they would like to see Halimy hall arrestees participate in restorative justice. When asked about restorative justice for the students, witnesses from inside Halimy Hall said they would be interested in seeing the students have a restorative justice option as opposed to further punitive punishment. This contrasts the university's multiple denials of a restorative justice proposal by the legal team, in which they claim restorative justice is exclusively used for academic cases, refusing to consider the social and historical context behind this case and firmly placing it among cases of sexual misconduct in how it can be handled.

UMN pushes ridiculous restitution onto students without proof of students causing the supposed damage or receipts for replaced items

When the restitution charges were brought up during the trial on day 2, the UMN attorney was unable to prove that any of the students did any of the alleged property damage or provide receipts of spending. Currently, they are still trying to force the students to pay for unnecessary upgrades done to doors, security systems, and electrical systems within Halimy Hall. The University of Minnesota has no right to charge students for unnecessary upgrades they wish to do to Halimy Hall under the guise of paying back property damage, which they have no proof of the students committing.

Students and legal team now await outcome of hearings

After several months the Halimy Hall students have finished their student conduct hearings. Now they just have to wait for the panel to decide the outcome. We are expecting administration to give them the results by Friday evening, right before break. Throughout the entire hearing admin has maintained complete control over the process, and has objected to every measure of transparency the students and their legal team have suggested. They have arbitrarily chosen which rules they must abide by and which policies no longer apply. Keep an eye on our social media for updates regarding the hearing.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #StudentMovement #SDS #HalimyHall #UMN #UMNSDS #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Chicago, IL – In the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, February 28, around 150 students walked out of Sullivan High School to protest against ICE. The students, with support of community groups, were able to have a successful walkout and add to the visible resistance in Chicago.

The Immigrants’ Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (IRWC – CAARPR) played a big supporting role in this walkout, helping students with flyering-materials, posters, banners, megaphone, etc. The IRWC met the students outside, alongside other community groups like Rad Rogers Park, Kabataan Alliance, and New Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois Chicago (New SDS at UIC).

“Let us live in peace”

“We will not let you take our families from us. We are now more united than ever. And we are here to resist!” said a senior at Sullivan High School, as they opened for the small rally in front of the building.

“How is this fair? How is any of this fair? Why can’t we pursue our education in peace? Why can’t we live without constant fear and anxiety?” a high school student asked the crowd, expressing the fear that they, and many students with immigrant family members, have since Donald Trump has taken office.

Next, a member of Kabataan Alliance spoke in solidarity with the students at Sullivan and of the fear that Filipino migrants are also feeling under these attacks, stating, “People are scared to say anything about being undocumented. There’s a lot of stigma. We really need to fight against that. It is not our fault that we are forced to migrate from our home countries.” With the United States’ military and economic intervention in the Philippines causing these migrations, there are around 300,000 to 1 million Filipino immigrants who are undocumented in the U.S.

”For the students here who marched out, I want you to know that was brave and what you’re doing right now is powerful. It is right to act in civil disobedience when injustice is happening!” said Gio Araujo from New SDS at UIC in support of the students. They talked briefly about the walkout the New SDS at UIC organized at their university, showing that students everywhere are protesting against ICE in their schools and campuses.

Araujo continued, “We at the New SDS, and right now the Sullivan students, are part of this big movement to build this visible resistance against the reactionary Trump agenda. For many of us, the next four years are gonna be more of this, more of building a movement against racism and reaction in this country.”

Finally, Angel Naranjo of the IRWC ended the rally stating, “This here is what we gotta be doing, resisting. Powerfully and visibly! We need to get more organized and mobilized. We need to ramp it up, we need to turn up the heat!”

Naranjo continued, “Let’s keep it up! Let’s build connections, get in contact, because this fight is not over, it’s only the beginning. From May 1st to May 5th in this city we are going to have a round of protests!” Naranjo hinted at the planned mass May Day demonstrations that the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Consejo de Resistencia en Defensa del Inmigrante are preparing for.

Youth under attack!

Chicago has seen the kidnapping of family members and parents of Chicano/Latino youth by ICE. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have been targeted. Back on January 29, a man in the Little Village neighborhood was kidnapped by ICE, after he and his wife had dropped off their child at school. And most recently, February 26, even outside of CPS, a father was taken outside of the Soto High School/Idar Elementary charter schools.

These attacks on immigrant communities have caused fear, causing an attendance decrease of Chicano/Latino students in CPS schools. The most active young people have understood the need to mobilize and create a visible powerful resistance against these attacks. Break the wave of fear and anxiety with action and resistance. Immigrants and the youth are under attack, the students are ready to stand up and fight back!

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #HighSchool #SDS #NAARPR #IRWC #Feature

New York, NY – On February 27, the New York University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally and picket outside the NYU Kimmel center to demand that the university senate refuse to comply with Donald Trump’s executive orders, and to commit to protecting its students from any attacks that may come in the future. 

Approximately 50 students marched outside the front entrance to the Kimmel center, where the U senate was meeting, and chanted “No compliance! With Trump’s violence!” and “When students are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

“NYU might promise to ‘comply with the law,’ but we will not comply with anyone, NYU-affiliated or otherwise, who seeks to threaten our rights, safety, or solidarity,” said an NYU student and speaker at the event. 

In the four weeks since Trump’s inauguration, he has enacted executive orders threatening the funding of institutions that welcome and protect trans, Black, brown, and immigrant students. Already, NYU has demonstrated a dangerous willingness to comply with these policies, preemptively canceling lifesaving gender affirming care at its institutional hospital and committing to “follow the law” when asked about allowing ICE on campus. 

The university administration has also attacked its students' rights to speech and protest, having suspended 13 activists and placed over 20 students on probation at the end of the winter term. This willingness to bend the knee to dangerous and discriminatory federal actions presents an ongoing threat to the safety of NYU’s student community.

NYU SDS commits to continued action to protect and serve our community. To quote the ending speech of the rally, “If the NYU administration refuses to defend its students against the Trump regime, we will defend ourselves.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #NYU #SDS #NYUSDS #Trump

New York, NY – On February 25, over 20 NYU students, faculty and workers picketed the board of trustees meeting demanding they disclose and divest from all companies supplying Israel in its genocidal occupation of Palestine.

In addition to disclosure and divestment, the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition demanded the closure of the NYU Tel Aviv campus, built upon stolen Palestinian land, and the reversal of all suspensions and probation charges of Palestine student activists. The coalition’s demands aim to cut the university’s ties to the state of Israel.

As board of trustee members were escorted into their meeting by campus security officers, they were confronted by picketersdemanding that they disclose and divest. As the meeting went on, picketers chanted “Trustees pick a side, justice or genocide” and “We want justice you say how! Answer our demands now!”

The picket was called for by the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition, which consists of the NYU Students for a Democratic Society, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Shut It Down NYU, NYU Graduate Student Workers Union – UAW, and several other organizations.

The participating organizations vow to continue their fight against NYU, no matter what repressive tactics are thrown their way. They will continue struggling until they win all their demands.

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #NYU NYUPSC #SDS #NYUSDS #NYUSJP #SJP #BDS #UAW #NYUGSWU #FreePalestine #Disclose #Divest

Tallahassee, FL – On Friday, February 28, students and other groups held a protest against the arrival of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk on FSU.

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, is known for his reactionary statements about LGBTQ people and Black Americans, insisting that the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was a mistake and should be repealed, while calling Martin Luther King Jr. an “awful person.” He has spoken at several universities as part of his “American Comeback” speaking tour.

In the buildup to the event, Owen Girard, president of FSU Turning Point USA, reported the Black Student Union to school administration for posting a screenshot of the protest flyer on their Instagram story. He later claimed they had been “held accountable” by the school authorities. According to BSU’s mission statement, they are “an organization at Florida State University that addresses those issues that affect African-American students in a university setting.”

The protest began at 11:30 a.m. at the Integration Statue with impassioned speeches denouncing Kirk and FSU’s administration. After this, over 100 students marched to Landis Green, where the event was being held, and barriers were quickly put up by FSUPD, Tallahassee PD, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

Justin Jordan, a leader in Tallahassee SDS said, “It is disgusting for a university that claims to care about all of its students to allow Charlie Kirk, a man who has repeatedly made his disdain for Black people and our rights to come on campus.”

Hundreds more people trickled in throughout the duration of the protest and rallied against Kirk’s presence with chants such as “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Charlie Kirk go away!”

Despite harassment from Turning Point sympathizers including slurs, bottle-throwing and even fascist salutes, the protesters successfully disrupted the event, as many attendees claimed they couldn’t hear Kirk speak amid the uproar.

The rally was organized and attended by Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society along with the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), FSU Veggie Power, FSU Graduate Assistants United, Tallahassee Food Not Bombs, YDSA, and FL Student Power.

The event ended around 2 p.m. and the crowd gradually dispersed without incident.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #CharlieKirk #TPUSA

Detroit, MI – On Wednesday, February 26, over 30 students, faculty, and community members marched at Wayne State University to defend DEI institutions and demand ICE is kicked off campus. The protest was planned in the wake of a series of emails sent by Wayne State administration, where they did not promise to protect students if ICE appeared on campus, and they stated that they would comply with Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.

The walkout was organized by Wayne State Students for a Democratic Society in coordination with the National Students for a Democratic Society call for a week of action. The Latinx Law Students Association, MI Students Dream, and All Together Campus Ministry were amongst the endorsing student organizations.

A student of the Latinx Law Students Association began the march by chanting, “No fear, not hate, no ICE at Wayne State.” This fed into two speeches that spoke on the importance of defending immigrant students from ICE and defending DEI institutions, courses and scholastic opportunities.

Jo Pico of Students for a Democratic Society admonished Wayne State’s President Espy and the board of governors, saying they have “normalized Trump’s culture of fear and hate,” by “rolling over without a fight every time Trump and his administration asks.”

While the demonstrators were preparing to march, a Wayne State police officer pulled up and demanded they stop using their megaphone. This was preceded by a last-minute email from the associate dean of students, who tried to get Students for a Democratic Society to cancel their march, despite the march being within the bounds of the school’s new policies regarding free speech on campus. After this interaction with the police, the students began to march around campus and the administration building. In drizzling rain, they chanted statements like, “DEI is here to stay, Donald Trump, go away!” and “Protect our education, stop the deportations!”

This was the first protest to protect immigrant students on Wayne State campuses since Donald Trump took office. Despite the fact that over 60% of the students at Wayne are oppressed nationalities , the university has already conceded to the President’s attacks. The students of Wayne State have shown that they will not allow their university to represent the interests of Trump’s racist and reactionary agenda.

#DetroitMI #MI #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – On Friday February 21, a group of students at Louisiana State University (LSU) disrupted a board of supervisors meeting in order to present demands to administration. The students had four demands they wanted to bring to the board of supervisors: reinstate Professor Ken Levy, make LSU a sanctuary campus, stop tuition hikes, and disclose and divest investments with Israel.

The students gathered in Free Speech Alley and marched to the board of supervisors office. Student organizers gave speeches and chanted, “When teachers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Their chants could be heard from inside, causing many attendees to leave their seats to look out at the protesters.

As the rally proceeded outside, three students registered in the meeting for public comment. They opposed the board revising permanent memorandum-79 (PM-79) and seeking to restrict free speech. Zane Sutor-Benfield of LSU Students for a Democratic Society gave public comment saying, “These new measures are just the latest in a long pattern of repressive action taken by the university administration. Though the oppression is largely aimed at students, recently the persecution of Professor Levy has taken it to the faculty as well. This memorandum specifically targets faculty by removing their First Amendment rights in the classroom.”

Administration recently fired Levy for political comments he made in class against Trump, and students met the repression with protests and a petition with over 700 signatures for his reinstatement. Felix Anderson of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) spoke out against LSU’s decision saying, “[Levy] has been juggled through the courts. Why is LSU punishing our best professors while they cut our classes behind our backs? This is a school, not a political theater.”

LSU student Gabriela Juárez put forth, “Why is free speech being restricted now? I think it has something to do with the university’s investment in Israel, I think it has something to do with university’s tuition hikes – I think it has something to do with Professor Levy’s firing. I think it is a clear and brazen assault on the basic freedoms that are supposed to underline a country like this, and frankly, it’s shameful.”

The group also demanded LSU divest from Israel. In his speech, Khalil El-abbassi of LSU SDS said, “We can’t trust LSU to make ethical decisions regarding Israel and Palestine when these outside interests have power within its administration. We demand that LSU show transparency with regard to its financial investments. We demand that LSU disclose details about its financial ties to companies supporting and trying to profit from Israel’s genocide.”

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On Monday February 24, 25 students representing eight student organizations gathered at the office of Loyola University’s President, Dr. Xavier Cole, to deliver a letter that included demands to stop an impending tuition hike, divest from Israeli apartheid, and safeguard the right to free speech. President Cole greeted the students as each representative lined up outside his office and presented him with copies.

Students organized the effort after they learned of the university’s plans to raise tuition by 4.5% in the upcoming 2025-26 school year and cut financial aid by 3%. Loyola also announced it plans to grow the administration by two new vice president positions. Both will receive salaries in the hundreds of thousands, while Loyola faculty are left critically underpaid.

In their letter to President Cole, students pointed out serious problems, including Loyola’s failure to recruit diverse faculty despite the student body being over 50% non-white. A new chapel built on campus, funded by local billionaire Gale Benson, was not built to be accessible for students with disabilities.

Nat Arredondo, a member of Students for Environmental Action (SEA) emphasized, “It is very important for SEA to support this letter, and request that the school divest from oil companies, because of the huge environmental destruction and health issues they cause in the South. But especially Louisiana and Cancer Alley.”

One of the demands stated the need for increased resources and funding for multicultural departments and organizations. “As an executive member of a multicultural club at Loyola, I’ve witnessed how our organization is often pushed to the forefront as a symbol of diversity and inclusion, and used as a pull factor for the school, without receiving the genuine support or funding necessary to thrive,” said Ethan Shairsingh, representing Liberate and Unite New Orleans Students for a Democratic Society.

The student organizations also demanded that the university rescind all institutional sanctions placed on students relating to free speech and protests.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS