Introduction to the Protest
Hundreds of high schoolers from across the city staged a walkout on May 27, rallying in Union Square against what they view as the Trump administration’s undermining of Constitutional protections and student freedoms. The walkout was organized by students from the High School of American Studies at Lehman College and Bronx Science, under the organization We The Students, a nonpartisan coalition formed in the months since Trump’s second term began.
The Rally and Its Participants
An estimated 20 schools were represented at the protest, according to student leaders. During the rally, students held handmade signs, some with general slogans (“Protect Our Country,” “Respect the Constitution”) and others pointedly directed at President Trump and his administration (“Morons Are Governing America,” “Ikea has better cabinets”). The group screamed, “Hands off education!” and “The students united will never be defeated!” as passersby stopped to take photos and videos.
Concerns and Motivations
Oliver Wong, a senior at the High School of American Studies, told the Bronx Times that he heard about the rally on social media and had to come support. When asked about what Trump administration policies were most concerning to him, he responded, “What can I say? Everything.” Specifically, Wong pointed to the administration’s threats to higher education funding, especially at Harvard University, where the President has moved to cancel all the school’s federal contracts totaling $100 million and block it from admitting international students.
Threats to Higher Education
Trump has accused Harvard of an overall liberal bias that fosters antisemitism, but the school has clapped back, suing over the international student ban and otherwise publicly standing up to Trump. The threats hit close to home, said Wong. “We know Columbia folded.” Under the circumstances, Wong said he was “optimistic but scared” about his future.
Organizers’ Goals and Next Steps
Margot Freudenheim, a senior at the High School of American Studies who helped organize the event, said they hoped the rally and the massive turnout would help quell some of students’ fears. “What’s the point of fear and despair if it doesn’t motivate you to do anything?” they said. Freudenheim said the We The Students rally follows the country’s long tradition of student protests, such as those during the Vietnam War. Although young people are living in times they called “definitely scary,” the work of coalition building was a way to counteract despair and stand up against the “erosion of democracy and expansion of executive power,” Freudenheim said.
Conclusion
The group aims to represent a range of student political viewpoints and will keep momentum going with another rally on June 14. Their actions show that young people can and will show up to defend their rights — to the benefit of everyone, Freudenheim said. “We don’t want to grow up in an America where the Constitution is irrelevant.”
FAQs
Q: What was the purpose of the student walkout on May 27?
A: The student walkout was to protest the Trump administration’s undermining of Constitutional protections and student freedoms.
Q: Which schools were represented at the protest?
A: An estimated 20 schools were represented at the protest, including the High School of American Studies at Lehman College and Bronx Science.
Q: What are the Trump administration’s policies that are concerning to the students?
A: The students are concerned about the administration’s threats to higher education funding, especially at Harvard University, where the President has moved to cancel all the school’s federal contracts totaling $100 million and block it from admitting international students.
Q: What is the We The Students organization?
A: We The Students is a nonpartisan coalition formed in the months since Trump’s second term began, aiming to represent a range of student political viewpoints and defend their rights.
Q: What is the next step for the We The Students organization?
A: The group will keep momentum going with another rally on June 14.
