New York, NY – On November 2, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at NYU gathered at Garibaldi Plaza for a petition delivery to the NYU administration demanding an increase in Black enrollment and a better Black student experience at NYU. The campaign was launched by SDS in collaboration with several Black student organizations including the Black Student Union, Brown Sugar Brilliance, NYU Alphas, and others. 

The students are demanding: Increase Black enrollment to 20% within the next five years; publicly and transparently release demographic data on enrollment; create a Black space on campus within a year; hire more Black faculty, and release demographic data on faculty.

The campaign’s petition amassed over 600 signatures, 12 student organization endorsements, and four community organizations’ endorsements. 

Students chanted, “We want more than 3.4! We won’t stay quiet anymore” to highlight the drop to 3.4% Black enrollment for the class of 2029. Students also chanted, “We want justice you say how? Increase Black enrollment now!” and “Raise your voice, put up a fight, education is our right!” People passing by took photos and videos of the protest, many people pumped their fists to show support, and others took fliers.

Delio Vasquez, assistant professor at the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, told the crowd, “Many of us feel that we can survive this regime in Washington by capitulating to their demands even as those demands become increasingly authoritarian and even as that regime does not hide their efforts to subvert the electoral process. In some instances, we have engaged in cold calculus that values some of our students above others to protect the university and sacrifice Black students, immigrant students, queer students, activist students and others.”

Elle Noorul, member of SDS, read aloud a statement from Zoe’ Bell, Student Senator at Large for Black Students and Students of Color, saying, “I refuse to believe that the Black student experience at NYU has to remain what it is today. And I refuse to believe that the students who come after us should inherit the same frustrations simply because we accepted them as part of attending this university. The changes we’re demanding will require all of us to remain involved, share our experiences, and hold this institution accountable.”

Lincey Violette, member of SDS and emcee for the rally, stated, “This fight has been happening long before my arrival here, and, after hearing my peers share their own experiences at the Black Town Hall, the need for support and change towards increasing Black enrollment has only grown. We are here fighting for Black joy, Black representation, and to hold our university accountable for its dismissal of Black voices here at NYU.”

Leianis Gunn, a member of Get Free Violets stated, “This fight is more than just about enrollment numbers, it's about ensuring that Black students have access to this university, and also the resources, the community and institutional support to thrive once we are here. So, NYU, we urge you to make concrete commitments to increase Black enrollment.”

Protesters marched to deliver the petition to the admissions office. Zaara Ahmed, another member of SDS, and Lincey Violette went inside to deliver the petition but were blocked by campus security saying that they were not allowed in. As tensions boiled between campus security and the protesters, the protesters were then redirected to Bobst library to deliver the petition to the president’s office. 

Protesters outside the library chanted “Black enrollment’s through the floor! We won’t take it anymore!” and “Education is a right! Not just for the rich and white!” Zaara and Lincey gave the petition and requested a meeting to discuss the demands. However, they were told, “We hope to respond soon, but we cannot give you a timeline.” Officials continued to give only vague answers to the students' demands for a meeting.

To end off the action, the students recited a chant by Assata Shakur, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Protesters vowed to continue fighting for increased Black enrollment at the university.

#NYC #SDS #NYU #OppressedNationalities #Student

Detroit, MI – On October 28, 20 Wayne State University students and members of Students for a Democratic Society at Wayne State met for a study-in outside Wayne State Dean of Students David Strauss’s office to defend student visas and green cards in the wake of Wayne State's revocation of at least 12 students’ visas in spring 2025.

Students sat outside the office with signs reading “Defend student visas” and “Protect international students,” demanding that the Wayne State University administration stop the collaboration with ICE and the Trump administration, by creating real policies that protect international students.

Wayne State University administration has revoked at least 12 student visas as of April 2025, forcing them to self-deport under threat by the university of ICE violence if refused. Since then, student groups such as Students for a Democratic Society at Wayne State University have pushed for sanctuary campus policies and a defense of student visas. However, Wayne State’s administration so far has refused to address these concerns.

Wayne State students organized the study-in to make it clear to the Wayne State administration that the student body cannot be ignored, and that real change on campus is needed.

Around an hour into the study-in, Dean of Students David Strauss finally acknowledged students, asking if they wanted a university sign moved from the hallway, instead of addressing students' concerns over the 12 deported students.

Kimberly Perry, a Wayne State University student and member of Students for a Democratic Society, told the dean, “We’d rather talk about the 12 students that got deported than the sign in the hallway.”

Dean Strauss responded by saying that participants in the action should talk to the student newspaper about the deported students. Perry then said, “As a representative of the student body, to administration, I'm just curious on why you haven't done anything to represent the 12 students who have been deported.”

Dean Strauss proceeded to say that making a statement on behalf of the deported students was “above his pay grade” and then refused to talk further about the subject after realizing he was being recorded.

The fight for a sanctuary campus will continue.

#DetroitMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS

Tampa, FL – On Friday, October 23, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally near the University of South Florida (USF) against sexual assault on college campuses.

The rally was part of National SDS’s day of action to demand college administrators stand with women and survivors and put an end to sexual assault on college campuses. This comes as a result of university admin across the nation increasing repression on student activists while turning a blind eye to sexual assaulters.

At Cornell University, a student was drugged and brutally gang-raped by frat members in 2024. None of the seven students named in the sexual assault case at Cornell have been arrested. Only two of the seven have been expelled, and a number of them were assigned essays and workshops as part of their “punishment” for their participation in this assault.

At Florida State University, SDS members JJ Gluek and Kaiden Rosa faced punishment by their university admin for calling out and informing students about a known rapist who is able to live on campus. Meanwhile, JJ and Kaiden faced potential suspension and expulsion. Their conduct hearings resulted in JJ having to write one essay, while Kaiden had to write two.

“According to the American Universities campus survey, 26% of undergraduate women experience nonconsensual sexual contact involving physical force or inability to consent during college,” said Jayce Solis of Tampa Bay SDS, in a speech about standing with survivors, “These are students trying to get an education and working toward degrees. Students who should be able to walk into a classroom without having to wonder whether their safety will be taken seriously.”

Protesters held signs with slogans reading, “End rape culture!” and “Expel rapists!” and chanted “Admin, hear us loud and clear, we believe survivors here!” and “We want justice, you say how? Start expelling rapists now!” Cars passed by, honking in support.

Tampa Bay SDS member Ryan Freymueller Jr. states, “It’s important for us to be out here rallying about rape culture because it is such a prevalent issue and because so many victims don’t speak out, out of fear or shame. Victims need to know that there are people who are going to stand up for them even if it isn’t the people who should, like admin. And us standing here and showing support puts pressure on those who should be doing something about it.”

Tampa Bay SDS will continue to fight against rape culture and stand in solidarity with the women and survivors who speak out against corrupt and misogynistic university administration.

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #SexualViolence #Cornell

Baton Rouge, LA – On October 23, a broad coalition of student organizations held a rally and march to conclude a week of action against MAGA and sexual assault at LSU. Students protested the LSU administration’s handling of the rape case involving Damien Shanklin, the football player accused of raping Kendall Francis. They also protested the gutting of the school’s cultural centers and demanded reinstatement of the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Office.

The student coalition included Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Feminists in Action, Tiger Prison Project, Injustice Reformed, Tigers Against Sexual Assault, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Their week of action included tabling by the various organizations, a sit-in, and concluded with the march.

The march began in Free Speech Alley on LSU’s campus, where students gathered. Along with the students, journalists arrived, including local news station WBRZ and LSU’s student-led newspaper, The Reveille. Campus police also showed up.

Gabriela DeJean, president of LSU SDS, reiterated the demands of the student coalition to the press. “Today we’re here demanding justice. We think that there’s a pervasive rape culture at LSU that has yet to be addressed at all. We’re out here today to make our demands clear and to make sure LSU addresses that.”

SDS member Gabriela Juarez stated, “Sexual assault on this campus is common to an extent that I don’t even think it’s fair to say that it’s not allowed. It is allowed. It’s, at best, regulated.”

The shutting-down of the cultural centers weighs heavily on the students as well, depriving them of safe spaces. “We played board games and talked about our days. There were mentorship programs. They did a food recovery network, so people could get meals there,” N’khia Zachery, president of Injustice Reformed, stated on the importance of the African American Cultural Center.

Students then marched to the Athletic Administration Building, where outside they demanded the expulsion of Damien Shanklin, and justice for Kendall Francis and other survivors. Students shouted chants such as “LSU, you can’t hide! Protecting rapists is a crime!”

What began as only LSU SDS making these demands has formed into a growing student coalition, and its actions have only just begun.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #WomensMovement #SDS #TitleIX

New Orleans, LA – On October 3 and 4, the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society was held with great success. Over 240 student and youth activists gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana to say, “Keep up the fight on campus!” and “Build a movement against Trump!” Students from around 26 chapters across the country gathered to learn from seasoned activists, exchange experiences, vote on resolutions, and elect national officers.

Despite facing repression from their universities and the Trump administration, the organizers were united and steadfast in their drive to keep fighting. As SDS’ recently re-elected president, Erin Boyle, put it, “Before SDS, I felt pessimistic about what was going on. I don’t feel that way anymore!”

With the rampant and ongoing threat of ICE terror, SDSers spoke on their campaigns for sanctuary campus policies on the panel entitled “ICE Out Now! Sanctuary Campus Now: Immigrant Rights and the Student Movement.”

On that panel, Sasmit Rahman of the University of Minnesota recalled the noise demonstrations that SDSers conducted outside of ICE agents’ hotel rooms during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.

“There's a deep-rooted collective rage that our noise demos tapped into. You're seeing the kidnapping of immigrants all across the cities, and the kidnappers and occupiers are in the building in front of you. Trying to control that rage, actually, is not our job at all,” Rahman said.

Earlier in the day, SDSers and other activists spoke on the “Money for Education, Not for Wars and Occupation: Continuing the Tradition of Anti-war Student Activism” panel. It was there that Navya Prakash of Together United Louisiana (TUL) SDS spoke on her chapter’s strong anti-war and anti-Zionist efforts in spite of the rabidly pro-Israel administration of Tulane University.

“We don't hold these rallies every week only for solidarity, although solidarity is an important part of it. We do them, because every time they call Tulane police, every time they put up barricades around our campus, it's proof that we are making a change in our campus,” said Prakash “We can't allow them to see that the students will just take whatever they do lying down. We have to organize at these extremely reactionary places, because these institutions can be won.”

At the end of the first day, students and community members rallied in the convention center at a protest to demand the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The action was organized by New Orleans’ affiliate to the Anti-War Action Network, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

On the second day of the convention, organizers voted on resolutions for National SDS and demonstrated great unity as they passed resolutions to combat gender oppression on campus, honor those martyred by racist violence and police brutality, reaffirm their commitment to defending free speech on campus, continue solidarity with the people of Palestine, demand the freedom of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and ultimately to resist attacks by the Trump administration and the ruling class wherever they may appear.

Above all, this convention demonstrated that the student movement continues to be strong and steadfast.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #SDSConvention #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement

Baton Rouge, LA – On October 16, students at Louisiana State University (LSU) mobilized at the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand an end to LSU’s recent attacks on Title IX. While students gathered inside to speak, other supporters held a rally directly outside the meeting.

The protest was organized by a coalition of organizations including Students for a Democratic Society (LSU SDS), Injustice Reform, Feminists in Action, Tiger Prison Project, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Tigers Against Sexual Assault.

During public comment, board members repeatedly interrupted Ziad Eissa, vice president of LSU SD. Eventually, the board had police forcefully remove him from the meeting. They also removed three other members of SDS who were waiting to give their comments. This meeting had a significant increase in police repression in comparison to previous ones, with officers from the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department, and even an undercover officer from the local sheriff’s department.

When supporters learned that their fellow students were denied the right to speak, the rally outside intensified. Students ensured that their voices could be heard from inside the building. Chants like “LSU you can’t hide! Protecting rapists is a crime!” “ Hey hey! Ho ho! The BOS has to go!” and “LSU what do you say, how many girls got raped today?!” could be heard from inside the building while the board met.

The rally raised demands for the cultural centers on campus to be restored to their full capacity. It also demanded the restoration of Title IX offices like the office of engagement, and that LSU expel Damien Shanklin and all other rapists on campus. Students criticized the LSU administration for escalating its clearly racist, sexist and homophobic actions under Trump.

“Across the nation, universities and police work hand in hand to protect rapists, bigots and racists, while punishing students who dare to fight back. Why? Because the capitalist ruling class feeds on oppression,” explained Enola Guyer, a speaker from Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Despite heightened police presence at the event, protesters made it clear that they will not quit fighting against the university administration’s repression.

“We want Landry’s lapdogs to know that we know who they are, we know what they stand for, and we will not stop fighting until our demands are met!” said Guyer as she closed out her speech.

The coalition has planned a week of action from October 19 to the 23, with a range of activities from an open mic night to a sit-in, closing out with a rally to demand that LSU expel Damien Shanklin. Shanklin is a rapist who was allowed on campus with no consequence, and permitted to play for LSU’s football team even after a LSU investigation determined he raped another student.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #WomensMovement

New Orleans, LA – On October 22, the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS) rallied as part of a national day of action against sexual violence and rape culture on university campuses. The day of action was called in response to the ongoing coverage surrounding the Cornell 57 and rampant sexual violence on college campuses in general.

At the rally, Loyola students expressed that their university had repeatedly failed to keep them and their peers safe and called for stronger systems of accountability from their administrators.

Speaking for LUNO SDS, Loyola freshman Jessica Monahan stated, “It is imperative that bodies of authority in our universities hear out and defend people like Jane Doe. Not only because it is their job, but because these people need to be and feel safe speaking out about their experiences.” Monahan continued, “What precedent does it set when sexual predators are made to pay for the trauma and dehumanization they've enacted with mere essays and suspensions?”

Incidents of sexual violence do not exist in isolation and are indeed a part of a wider systemic problem. Juleea Berthelot of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the Republican-led effort to roll back Title IX protections.

“The rollbacks put in place are being used to protect the status quo as it exists. The ruling makes it impossible for there to be a real legal pathway to hold fraternities accountable for perpetrating sexual assault on campus and lets rapists know they can commit their crimes with little to no accountability,” Berthelot said.

Berthelot continued, “The rollback lets schools get off the hook for refusing to come to the aid of victims. It defends rich and powerful students from even being accused of rape by demoralizing those who come forward.” Berthelot finished their speech by reminding the crowd that “more people are becoming conscious of the rotten corruption and injustice allowed on campuses,” and “the struggle for socialism will only intensify as more people in the United States are forced to realize it is the only way to truly end rape culture and anti-LGBTQ attacks on campus and in our communities.”

The rally concluded with the final demand to convict the Cornell 57 and for justice for all survivors.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #LUNO #WomensMovement #SexualViolence #LGBTQ

Chicago, IL – On October 15, students mobilized to the University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) University Hall to deliver an open letter demanding an end to UIC’s “open expression” form and a stop to the university’s restrictions on free speech for student organizations. The protest was put on by Students for a Democratic Society at UIC (SDS) as a part of the SDS’ National Day of Action and to fight back against recent attacks on progressive student organizations.

The “open expression” form requires UIC students to fill out paperwork through the dean of students when rallying or speaking out on campus.

“The administration thinks this university belongs to them but it doesn't. It belongs to the students! it belongs to the workers! To the community! To the people!” said Sanele Stewart, a member of SDS. Stewart continued, “The students of the past had to fight to make this university what it is now, and we aren't just going to fight to protect those victories, but to win new ones!”

“We should not have to fear consequences for peacefully challenging decisions made by those in power,” said Maria Perez of Mexican Students de Aztlan

Amir Hartt, a member of SDS and Students for Justice in Palestine at UIC (SJP), told the crowd, “If we face enough constant obstacles, admin thinks that we’ll either give up our organizing, scale it down, or something else that’ll shut us up for the semester. Our campaigns at their core are hostile to admin. Divestment from genocide is hostile to admin, it makes their investments into child-killing devices a sunken cost.”

In its open letter, SDS at UIC wrote: “We demand an end to the so-called Open Expression Policy, which has repeatedly been used by UIC to restrict the speech of political student organizations on campus. In particular we want an end to the policy of prior registration and administrative approval for free speech and assembly.” The letter also states: “We wonder what the point of being a registered student organization is if it only means handing over personal contact information which is then used by administration to discourage students from being active on campus?”

After hearing speeches from SDS and MeSA, the students headed inside University Hall to deliver their open letter to university administration, specifically UIC Chancellor Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda.

While the group of students planned on taking the University Hall elevator to the 28th floor and delivering their letter, administrators from UIC’s dean of students, without reason, told the students that they could not take the elevator up. The students pushed back against this, and, after negotiating, two students took the elevator up to Chancellor Miranda’s office and delivered the letter, not to the Chancellor herself, but to Elizabeth Fulmer from the chancellor’s office.

Students for a Democratic Society at UIC and their allies were able to successfully deliver their letter, but the students are not planning on giving up the pressure. Keep an eye on @sdsatuic on Instagram for more updates.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #SDS #MeSA #Feature

New York, NY – On October 9, students gathered at Garibaldi Plaza in Washington Square Park for a rally organized by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at NYU, to launch a new campaign by SDS demanding the NYU administration do more to better the Black student experience at NYU.

The rally was endorsed by the NYU Black Student Union, NYU Brown Sugar Brilliance and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at NYU.

The campaign, with the slogan “Education is a right, not just for the rich and white! Increase Black enrollment now!” was launched publicly on October 2 and has garnered over 125 signatures. The campaign demands are: Increase Black enrollment at NYU to 20% within the next five years to match the demographics of NYC; publicly release enrollment and admissions racial data so that students can keep track of progress; create a Black space on campus within a year; release demographic data on faculty, and hire more Black faculty.

Oko Kangnigan, a member of SDS, was the protest emcee. He led protesters chants such as, “We want justice, you say how? Increase Black enrollment now!” “Black enrollment’s through the floor! We won’t take it anymore” and “Hear us admin you can’t hide! We can see your racist side!” Several people walked by taking fliers to sign on to the petition, staying around to take videos and listen to chants, and expressed their support by pumping their fists.

Several speakers talked about their experiences as Black students at NYU and called out the failure of the administration to make them feel welcomed on campus. They highlighted the necessity to organize and fight for a place on campus and to better the Black student experience through these demands.

“I started by asking ‘Do I really belong here?’ but I want NYU to start answering a different question: ‘What is the admin willing to do to make sure Black students know that we belong here?’ Not just a statement, not just a website, not just in a diversity brochure. But in the classrooms, in the faculty, in the enrollment numbers, the resources and the spaces we are given. As Black students, we do belong here,” said Raoul Estinvil, who is a Black student at NYU.

“We deserve community and the opportunity to take as much space as we possibly need here. It is simply not enough for them to include us in their pedagogies. We must be the ones to tell our own stories. To take back the pens and data used to talk about us as though we have no mouths for ourselves,” said Tapuwanashe Hightower, who spoke for YDSA, adding, “We are not asking, we are demanding for the increase of Black enrollment at NYU.”

“Black students have received threats on our lives that were not properly addressed by the administration, we have watched individuals try to bring white supremacists onto this campus, and we have had our university’s systems hacked, with our intelligence slandered with racial slurs, and our achievements dismissed with the lie that we only got in due to affirmative action. These are realities we have lived through, and the administration’s response has too often been silence, delay or half measures. So yes, we want more Black students at NYU, but we also want a campus where those students can thrive, not just survive. Administration needs to be held accountable, and answer for the harms that have been done and to commit to real, structural change,” read a statement from the Black Student Union, which was read aloud by Jolin Wu, a member of SDS.

“Black students have worked hard for their position at NYU, and we have had to overcome barriers within education and it won't stop now. We will not stop until NYU gives in to our demands! So, my fellow classmates and peers, I implore you. Get out! Come to protests, come to rallies, come to speak-outs because NYU cannot silence your voice!” said Kangnigan in his speech to end the rally.

After speakers, protesters marched through Washington Square Park. Police followed them from behind, in an attempt to intimidate them. Protesters marched to Bobst Library and stopped right in front. To end off the rally, Kangnigan led the crowd in doing a chant, “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #SDS #NYUBSU

Chicago, IL – Over 50 students and community members mobilized at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Wednesday, October 7 to demand a free Palestine. The protest, organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UIC, marked three years of Israel's genocide against the Palestinians and 78 years since the Nakba. After the program, students marched through campus chanting.

Speakers connected the struggle for Palestinian liberation to the violence of the U.S. to its own people and the struggle against imperialism globally.

“It has been 78 years since the Nakba, the violent and mass displacement of the Palestinian people all in the name of Zionism. Yet the rabid attack dog known as Israel was not satisfied with their brutality and are now at three years of genocide towards the Palestinian people,” said Dani Espinoza of New SDS.

Sarah Ahmad a member of SJP said, “The ruling class, who has authorized a $21.7 billion payment abroad to Israel since October 2023 and ignored all domestic calls for humanitarian relief, does not act in the interests of justice or humanity – they act in the interests of imperialism, colonialism and capitalism.” Ahmad continued, “But it is the people who have the power to transform society. It is the people, organized in solidarity, who can tear down these systems of oppression and build something new, something just, and something free.”

Ángel Naranjos, reading a statement from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “It is right to rebel and the struggle continues now. We demand an immediate and total end to all U.S. aid to the apartheid state of Israel, the right of return for all Palestinian refugees, and the release of political prisoners.”

Naranjos continued “Of course, October 7 did not happen in a vacuum, but was the legitimate and righteous response to 75 years of ethnic cleansing, of Nakba, of the daily reality of occupation in the form of military violence, land and water theft, demolition of homes, of people trapped under apartheid.”

Rania Salem of the U.S Palestinian Community Network said, “They do not want us speaking on Palestine, they don't want us educating and mobilizing the masses, they do not want us unifying together under one powerful movement that works and fights together. They do not want the students organizing against their institutions in support of Palestine; they fear our movement, because they know that we are winning.”

Graeme Eble, a member of New SDS, said, “So we stand here today as students and community members to continue to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. The U of I system is still invested in genocide. We must show our administration that the students will never back down. We will not be silent in face of genocide, and we will always demand the liberation of the Palestinian people.

Valeria Muñoz Gonzalez of MeSA said, “Our state Illinois invests millions into Israeli bombs, which is investment into a genocide. Instead of investing in the genocide, our government officials in Illinois could choose to invest within our communities. That's right. We must continue to call for UIC and Illinois to divest. We must call for the liberation of Palestinian people for the liberation for all.”

Gonzalez continued, “What's happening in Palestine isn't far from our country. The same violence being unleashed on Palestinians is taught to the FBI, CIA, and ICE in trainings in which the U.S. and Israel collaborate with. That's right. These trainings teach tactics of police violence, mass surveillance, racial profiling, and suppression of descent from protesters. U.S. law enforcement has participated in exchange programs to learn from the violence the IOF uses on Palestinians to unleash in our brown and Black communities. The killings committed by ICE are connected to the IOF senseless killings of Palestine.”

The crowd chanted things like “Up, up with liberation. Down, down with occupation” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

The protest was organized by SDS and SJP in response to UIC's continued complicity in the genocide being committed by Isreal and the United States against the Palestinian people. A few of UIC’s acts of complicity include inviting an Israeli ambassador to campus, organizing a study abroad trip to Israel, and leaking the names of SJP members to the Israeli government.

Endorsing organizations include US Palestinian Community Network, Anti-War Community Chicago, SJP, Anakbayan UIC, JSC, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Latinos Unidos, Sanctuary for all, Housing Staff United, Mexican Students De Aztlán.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS #SJP

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, October 6, around 30 students and community members held a rapid response pro-Palestine rally outside Tulane Chabad to protest an event held there. Inside, three students who served in the Israeli Defense Forces gave a talk on the three-year anniversary of October 7.

The rally was organized by Together United Louisiana Students for a Democratic Society (TUL SDS). The student organization has protested IDF events held by Tulane all three times they have taken place in the past year. The event was not publicly advertised anywhere. Students learned of it only hours before via a mailing list.

SDS organizer Keenan Gray spoke about their rapid response, stating, “Even though Tulane tried to hide this event and we only found out about it three hours in advance, SDS knew we had to quickly organize a protest to show that the genocidal IDF is never welcome on this campus.”

Students and community members gathered outside the building, banging drums and chanting, “Tulane hear us loud and clear, IDF’s not welcome here!” And “We want justice, you say how? IDF off campus now!”

“Tulane knows they are monsters. That’s why this is happening off campus. That’s why these cowards didn’t even advertise their event until three hours ago. That’s why last year they tried to arrest us for protesting the IDF, why they retaliated so violently against the encampments, and why they constantly shut down pro-Palestine activism,” said TUL SDS member Jai Thombre. “Tulane treats its own students like we are the threat yet welcomes the IDF with open arms.”

Attendees of the event came outside to shout at protesters, but passersby cheered the crowd on and honked in support.

SDS organizer Rory MacDonald, who Tulane Police attempted to arrest at a similar demonstration in November 2025, spoke about the student movement at Tulane, “We are still here, we are still fighting. The anti-Zionist movement at Tulane has only grown. It’s only gotten stronger, and the Zionist movement is cowering!”

Students ended the rally with a promise to continue fighting back against Zionist forces on their campus.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On October 3, over 200 students and youth rallied for Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores at the New Orleans Healing Center. The protest called by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) condemned the horrific treatment of Cilia Flores, who is currently experiencing a life-threatening heart condition. New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), an AWAN affiliate, organized the demonstration alongside Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

“When I met farm workers, indigenous organizers, and trade unionists in Venezuela, all of them denounced the Yankee imperialist attacks on their sovereignty!” cried Ebtesham Ahmed, a member of New York University SDS. Ahmed visited Venezuela mere weeks before the kidnapping of Maduro and Flores. They lifted their fist to the crowd, sharing a chant they learned in Venezuela: “¡Yo solo sé tres palabras en inglés, Yankee go home!”

Protesters held signs that read “Free First Lady Cilia Flores!” and “Stop U.S. war on Venezuela!”

Maduro and Flores have been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York for over 200 days. Their capture on January 3 resulted in the death of 100 people in Venezuela. During their imprisonment, the United States has maintained suffocating sanctions on the country.

Trump has openly bragged that taking Venezuela’s resources and labor will bolster the U.S. economy, but student activists rejected this exploitation. “My enemy is not the people of the world, they're our allies. I stand with the people of Venezuela as they stand with us, against our true enemy, Donald Trump and the ruling class of the United States,” shouted Khalid Hamu, National SDS secretary.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Chris Maldonado connected the struggle to his family’s fight against sanctions in Cuba, stating, “Whether it's my country or Venezuela, it is important that we don’t sit idly by while the U.S. monopoly capitalists plot to murder revolutionaries, strangle sovereign countries, and profit off of exploitation. We must stand up and fight back!”

As the rally ended, NOSHIP organizers made sure to give everyone in attendance a call to action for Maduro and Flores. “The Anti-War Action Network will be at every single court hearing that they have, demanding their freedom and an end to the attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty. We ask that you join us in signing our petition, and rally in your city every time AWAN calls a day of action,” said NOSHIP member Cristine Farah.

People interested in supporting Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores can sign AWAN’s petition at tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro and follow their Instagram @antiwaractionnetwork for days of action in solidarity with Venezuela.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #CiliaFlores #NicolasMaduro #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS #Feature

Tampa, FL – Students at the University of South Florida held a protest September 29 against the Florida Board of Governors ban on undocumented students attending state-funded schools.

This protest was called by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society after the Florida Board of Governors voted to restrict the admission of non-citizens to the Florida College system; it now requires students to be “lawfully present” in the U.S. The Florida College system consists of 28 schools, including the University of South Florida.

Students at the protest demanded a sanctuary campus to protect immigrant and undocumented students.

SDS member Briana Beebe stated, “DeSantis and the Board of Governors’ recent policy that bans undocumented students from seeking a higher education at public universities in Florida is a huge blow to educational equity. We are here to say to hell with DeSantis and shame on USF for not standing up for undocumented students.”

#TampaFL #FL #USF #StudentMovement #SDS #RonDeSantis #ImmigrantRights

New Orleans, LA – Hundreds of student activists from across the country will arrive in New Orleans this Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, for the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). October 3 will also mark nine months since the United States shamefully invaded and attacked Venezuela, kidnapping President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), a partner of the national Anti-War Action Network, has led the local struggle against intervention in Venezuela. The intervention has accomplished nothing but more suffering. In particular, the June 24 earthquakes near the capital city of Caracas killed over 6000 people and injured nearly a quarter million more.

“Our city was also devastated by a federal policy of neglect. Now we have the Trump administration trying to cut off aid and resources to more innocent civilians experiencing a disaster. Here, we find that especially alarming and abhorrent,” said Charlie Schully of NOSHIP. “That’s why it is fitting that the largest rally for Venezuelan sovereignty this week may be right here in New Orleans.”

Schully pointed to the fact that the United States is freezing Venezuelan assets in the International Monetary Fund, preventing them from accessing their own funds, and the decades of sanctions which have grown worse. “We call for their leaders to be freed, particularly Cilia Flores, who is quite literally dying in an American prison. But we also demand an end to U.S. sanctions and freeing up their nearly $5 billion in assets!”

Silas Gillett, of Liberate and Unite New Orleans (LUNO) Students for a Democratic Society, said that “Students for a Democratic Society stands in full support of jailed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.”

“As students and youth, we remember the student movement’s history of fighting against U.S. interventions abroad, from Vietnam to Palestine,” Gillett added. “As young people, we refuse to sit by and allow this imperialist government to spoil our world’s future by starting chaos and crises in independent countries. We all have a stake in the fight against foreign interventions. Whatever rights the U.S. imperialists can take away from people abroad, they can take away from us.”

NOSHIP will partner with local chapters of SDS to bring the rally and march against U.S. intervention in Venezuela to downtown New Orleans right after the first day of the National Convention. The rally will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m. in front of Armstrong Park. Activists will march through the French Quarter and end on the steps of Jackson Square.

You can sign the Anti-War Action Network petition to free President Maduro and First Lady Flores at www.tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #NicolasMaduro #CiliaFlores #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS

Tallahassee, FL – On September 22, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied at the Integration Statue and then marched to Wescott Fountain to protest the unjust firing of Tally SDS Vice President Mariana Guimaraes from the FSU Victim Advocate Program for her role in SDS’s anti-rape culture campaign and her public advocacy for a survivor.

Guimaraes called out this decision, asking, “When an advocate says publicly, clearly, and with conviction that the systems we have are failing, that we need better for students, and they are terminated without a real reason, what message does that send to survivors?”

Speakers from other community organizations spoke in support of Guimaraes and discussed the extent of rape culture on campus and administration’s repression of student activists, including conduct charges for flyering to raise student awareness of a rapist FSU left unpunished.

Protesters chanted, “Don’t punish flyers, punish crimes! Student safety every time!” and “Expel abusers clear the halls, answer when a victim calls!”

Once the students arrived at Westcott, they were told they could not stand on the main steps because they had to make room for an event letting out of a nearby building, where FSU was hosting far-right former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Despite following those orders and making room for those exiting, they were told again to move because the fountain was reserved for pictures. Protesters continued to confront admin, including Brandon Bowden, an FSU administrator who has been placed in charge of the Title IX process at FSU and has refused countless survivors justice. Protesters joined together in chants calling out admin and the role it plays in upholding rape culture.

Tally SDS president JJ Glueck spoke on admin’s attempt to move the protest saying, “Admin claimed that we couldn’t protest by Westcott because Boris Johnson’s speaking event would be letting out in the same area. We knew this was a flagrant violation of our right to gather and make our voices heard. They tried to argue with us, but we stood our ground and held the protest in front of the administrative building like we planned to.”

The protest continued late into the evening, until admin said that SDS had to leave because they couldn’t be protesting on campus after sunset. Nevertheless, the crowd kept chanting for an additional ten minutes before moving across the street and kept the energy going.

Guimaraes’ firing and the attempt to move the protest by admin are yet more actions by FSU to stifle the student movement and repress SDS during its anti-rape culture campaign. The campaign arose in response to the failings of the Title IX process at FSU and the refusal to expel rapists unless serious physical bruising or injury is present. As FSU admin refuses to hold rapists on their campus accountable, SDS will continue this fight until survivors get justice and there is an end to rape culture on campus.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #WomensMovement #TitleIX #PeoplesStruggles #SDS

Tallahassee, FL – On September 17, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society gathered at Landis Fountain to demand an end to “Flock Safety” in the city. Around 30 students gathered holding signs against Flock mass surveillance, and speakers discussed the harmful effects of Flock on our community. Student slogans included “What do we want? Privacy! When do we want it? Now!” and “No justice, no peace! No racist police!”

On August 31, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the removal of LPRs (License Plate Readers) on state roads, with a 30-day deadline. County and city governments, such as Tallahassee, have followed up on this move in an atmosphere of opposition to Flock surveillance, with Tallahassee City Commission voting to suspend ALPRs (Flock and Motorola cameras) on September 9.

However, the city commission rejected a vote to cover these cameras, which would prevent them from recording. Leon County voted on September 15 to remove all ALPR cameras within 30 days.

These removals and suspensions have so far not included cameras in neighborhoods and campuses. The frequent misreports from ALRPs and their constant recording have been met with backlash, but the state campaign for mass surveillance has not ended.

Amy Farnum-Patronis, the senior director of university communications at FSU, reported vaguely to FSView that, “in light of current ongoing conversations on this topic and in the interest of being as transparent as possible, we can confirm that the core of FSU's campus does not contain Flock devices.”

The Tallahassee Police Department wants people to think they can regulate Flock. They claim to have “have implemented policies governing the professional and appropriate use of ALPR technology.”

Flock, a private company for mass surveillance, wrote in its own February 2026 Terms of Service that the company has “irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license to (a) use and disclose Customer Data to provide the Flock Services.” Customer data, defined as whatever Flock cameras record, can be shared by Flock to local and federal agencies around the country for “investigative purposes,” even if TPD opts out of data sharing. Flock has frequently used this data to aid the ICE terror campaign.

As residents of Tallahassee know, our city has been a center for ICE deportations in Florida. On May 29, one of the largest ICE roundups in Florida occurred in Gaines Street, Tallahassee, detaining more than 100 construction workers. Tallahassee has also agreed to the 287(g) agreement, whereby police officers can take on ICE duties and racially profile the residents of Tallahassee.

At the SDS protest at Landis Fountain, a speaker and Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance member said, “These cameras have been used by police for their own personal gain, to stalk and harass primarily women.” He pointed out, “We have no idea how they’re using this technology right now, because there is no transparency. Recently, the Florida governor made it illegal for undocumented students to even enroll in Florida public colleges. So, do you think that the only line of defense is going to be the admission’s office? What happens when they start to be even more muscular in their crackdown against students on campus? When they start to suspect that some brown kid might actually be illegal on campus?”

FSU students refuse to accept the vague sidestepping of FSU admin and refuse to back down on the fight against Flock. Suspension and ALPR removal are not enough, and SDS will keep up the pressure to protect the right to privacy for all residents of Tallahassee. SDS will demand Flock removal until every Flock camera in Tallahassee is removed.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #FlockCameras #Flock #SDS #ImmigrantRights #Surveillance #ALPR

New York, NY – On September 18, members of the Students for a Democratic Society at NYU held a speakout as part of a national week of action to oppose the “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act” (HR 4795), which was recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. If the bill becomes law, it will strip federal funding from universities that divest from the state of Israel.

The speakout took place in front of Gould Plaza, the site of the 2024 NYU Palestine Solidarity Encampments. Hundreds of students, faculty and community members rallied during the encampments to demand NYU to divest from Israel and shut down the study-away site at Tel Aviv.

In response to the encampment, NYU called the NYPD who arrested 130 people and brutalized many. Afterwards, the university closed off the plaza to the public and constructed a wall to restrict protests on the plaza.

Students chanted, “We want justice, you say how? Disclose, divest right now!” And “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” People passing by expressed their support for the protesters by chanting along or pumping their fists in the air. Many stopped by to take photos and videos.

Patrick Reddy, member of SDS, spoke to the necessity to oppose the bill and highlighted the repression of protesters by NYU, stating, “We are the students. We pay tuition, we attend classes, we conduct research, and we make up this university community. Our tuition and our presence are part of what allows this institution to function.”

Reddy continued, “And we deserve to have a say in the decisions it makes. I know it can sometimes feel like we're up against something so much bigger than ourselves, between the federal government and NYU's own administration. But we are not powerless.”

Zaara Ahmed, of SDS stated, “We have to demand that our tuition and our university not be used to support institutions and systems that we believe contribute to Palestinian suffering. And we have to defend our right to organize for those demands, even when powerful institutions tell us that we should stop.”

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Israel #SDS

Madison, WI – Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered in Library Mall, September 16, for the first protest for a sanctuary campus of the semester. Madison Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led the protest, joined by the Black Power Coalition (BPC), United Faculty & Academic Staff, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The event began with a call for students to fight back against ICE and Trump's reactionary policies. Like many cities across the U.S., Madison has seen an uptick in ICE activity. On the day of the rally, federal agents were reported in South Madison, further cementing the need for sanctuary policies.

Lizbeth De Jesus of Madison SDS talked about Trump’s attempts to end the “Duration of Status” rule for student visas. This xenophobic change would put international students, who make up 14% of Madison’s student body, at dire risk.

De Jesus told the crowd, “We need real policies put in place that defend students, staff, and faculty. We need our university to actually stand up and fight back against the backward Trump regime.”

De Jesus concluded, “When we dare to struggle, we dare to win! And we won’t stop fighting until we get what we deserve: a safer campus for every student.”

Evan Epps of the Black Power Coalition stated, “The same systems that over-police Black bodies are the same systems driving immigration raids, separations and terror in our communities.” Evan then turned his speech towards the university itself, “You cannot claim to build an inclusive campus, while allowing state officers to terrorize students on their way to class. Silence from University leadership is not neutrality, it is complicity.”

The rally was the first of many protests this semester as SDS continues its fight for a sanctuary campus.

Now, more than ever, the importance of uniting against Trump is on clear display. Now is not the time for neutrality. SDS and the UW community call on our university administration to take a firm stance against Trump!

#MadisonWI #WI #StudentMovement #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – On September 14, a coalition of more than seven progressive student organizations at Louisiana State University (LSU) held a press conference to voice sharp opposition to the closing of several cultural centers over summer break. These included the African American Cultural Center, Women’s Center, Latinx Center, LGBTQ+ center, and Multicultural Center.

The press conference was held just hours after students’ representatives from Injustice Reform, Student for a Democratic Society (SDS), Feminists in Action, and the LSU chapter of NAACP met personally with Executive Vice President James Dalton and Senior Vice Chancellor Joseph Messina to discuss their demands. Their meeting was hard-won after students marched on Dalton's office to demand it and attended a board of supervisors meeting to publicly demand this meeting a second time.

“We went into the meeting to demand that all centers were reopened to their full capacity and original functioning. The reasons stated by James Dalton for these changes were ‘eliminating redundancy and cutting costs,’” said Gabi DeJean of SDS.

After meeting for over two hours, the administration refused to reverse these changes in any way. They also refused to send an email communication to the student body to explain what changes have been made to the cultural centers.

At the press conference, the Queer Graduate Student Alliance explained that the LGBTQ+ center has been closed for over a year now, and that this was one of the last places that LGBTQ students were safe on campus. Feminists in Action explained that LSU’s campus has also lost a lactation room, staffing to support victims of sexual assault, and funding for free Plan B and contraceptives for students.

“LSU cares about Black bodies and Black culture when it comes to football, but they don’t care about Black students who pay tuition to go to school here,” said Laketa Johnson. Johnson is the founder of A Belle La Femme, a nonprofit organization that helps get scholarships for oppressed nationality women in college. She is also a key community leader in the fight against the unconstitutional Louisiana redistricting map released earlier this year. Johnson touched on key parallels between Trump and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s agenda and the changes that LSU’s administration is making on campus.

All of the student groups present expressed resolutely that they are opposed to the rollback of DEI and right-wing consolidation.

“We all know that these centers came into being as a result of tireless student protest and public pressure decades before us. So we’re sure as hell not going to let them take it away without that same fight!” said DeJean.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #CulturalCenters

Baton Rouge, LA – On August 27, Louisiana State University Students (LSU) marched to the school’s administrative office to demand the university’s cultural centers be restored.

Over the summer, the LSU administration consolidated all four cultural centers under the Office of Academic Affairs. This move effectively shut them down. Additionally, all student and administrative staff were removed without warning.

“These centers were won in the 60s and 70s through political struggle and public pressure, and so we will continue the struggle students on this campus have waged in the past,” said Ziad Eissa, vice president of LSU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

LSU SDS President Margo Wilson and Secretary Gabriela DeJean joined the march and attempted to hand-deliver the students' written demands to LSU Chancellor James Dalton. Upon arrival, Wilson and DeJean were met by several police officers and denied entry for a prolonged period. They were eventually allowed to pass their demands to Dalton’s secretary and demand a meeting with the chancellor to discuss these unjustifiable cuts.

“They want us to think that the world is unchangeable, but we know that when the people dare to fight back, we can change the world,” said Ashley Schmittle, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Students at LSU are determined to keep up the struggle to reopen the cultural centers.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #LSUSDS #Feature