New York, NY – On May 1, around 50 NYU students, faculty, alumni and community members gathered at Garibaldi Plaza to demand NYU take further steps to protect its non-citizen students and faculty and to honor union contracts.

The NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) called for the rally as a part of a series of actions that took place to honor May Day, a day which honors the historic struggle and victories of working people. Members of several NYU unions such as the Contract Faculty Union (CFU-UAW) and Student Workers at NYU (SWAN-UAW) joined the rally to continue to pressure the administration to heed their contract demands at the bargaining table. Other members of student protest groups such as the NYU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) joined in support of the unions and the demands for protection of non-citizen students.

Protesters at the rally chanted, “What kind of power? Union power!” and “When immigrant rights are under attack? What do we do? Stand up fight back!” Hundreds of people walked by the rally taking photos and cheering in support of the protesters.

Speakers from several of the unions, such as the CFU-UAW, emphasized the significance of May Day and highlighted the importance of unions to continue to put pressure on and bargain with NYU to win a fair contract.

Tej Budhram, speaking for NYU YDSA, spoke on the need to fight back to protect immigrants in the country, stating, “We are not on a blip in the system. Electing another person won’t help us; the guardrails have fallen and even the Supreme Court is being ignored. We must be the guardrails – we must take to the streets with whoever is willing to fight to restore not only the status quo, but also the new future. One in which students who spent their whole life waiting to study in America aren’t having their dreams ripped away from them. One in which our unions are free to organize in every state and every locality without fear.”

After the speakers, the protesters sang union song Everywhere We Go! and then dispersed. Protesters were encouraged to attend other rallies and events that took place throughout the day.

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