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

Baton Rouge, LA – On Monday, July 7, the family of Deaughn Willis held a press conference in front of City Hall to demand justice. Willis was murdered by East Baton Rouge Deputy Eno Guillot in 2022. Guillot was denied qualified immunity for the murder in a ruling earlier this year. However, Guillot is still employed by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and has not faced any criminal charges.

The family called on Baton Rouge residents to call and email District Attorney Hillar Moore, to urge him to indict Deputy Guillot and bring the case before a grand jury.

Guillot shot Deaughn in the Willis family’s home during a search for another suspect. Officers loudly banged on the door but did not announce themselves as police. Trinelle Willis stated that the mystery banging was so alarming, she actually called 911 for help.

As Deaughn Willis opened the door to discover it was police, he briefly closed the door to notify his family. Deputy Guillot then shot through the door into the home, hitting Deaughn. Trinelle Willis stated, “They shot through my residential door. My entire immediate family was in that home, so any one of us could have got shot.” Then, when Ms. Willis exited the home, the officers turned their guns at her. “I was like: I’m the one who called the police!”

As Deaughn lay injured, his mother, a trained nurse of 17 years, attempted to administer life-saving aid to her son. That was when the police ordered that she and her family evacuate the home. The police left Deaughn Willis bleeding on the ground for over 45 minutes as they searched the home. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Trinelle Willis says she won’t stop fighting for justice for her son. She recalled an interaction with her son a little over a year before his death. “He told me, ‘Mama don’t let the police mess over me, because they don’t treat us the same’… So I feel like I made him a promise,” Ms. Willis said. “I have to continue to fight.”

A number of local community organizations gathered to uplift the family’s demands, including EVOLVE Louisiana, East Baton Rouge Prison Reform Coalition, and New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police.

#BatonRougeLA #PoliceCrimes #EVOLVELouisiana #EastBatonRougePrisonReformCoalition #NewOrleansforCommunityOversightofPolice