UC Berkeley rally defends education rights
Around 500 students, faculty, and community members gathered at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza to protest the Trump administration's education policies, which they claim threaten academic freedom and institutional autonomy nationwide. The demonstrators, calling their rally "Rise up for Education," criticized measures such as a $2.3 billion funding freeze on Harvard University and potential revocation of tax-exempt status for institutions like Harvard and Columbia. These actions, according to protesters, were in response to the universities’ handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and broader policies they viewed as politically driven.
Prominent voices at the event included Robert R. Reich, a professor of public policy at Berkeley, who declared that tyranny disappears once people refuse to submit; Paloumi Saha, an assistant professor, emphasized the commitment to student safety and the protection of First Amendment rights; and lecturer Matthew Parker, a Columbia alum, standing up for due process and inalienable constitutional rights. Student Sam Kaplan Pettus highlighted the rally as a crucial turning point in the fight for educational justice.
The protest was part of a national “Day of Action for Higher Education,” reflecting widespread concern among American academic communities. Faculty members echoed students' calls to defend universities from what they described as unwarranted political interference and potential erosion of academic independence. The rally also spotlighted controversies surrounding immigration policy changes; over 70 international students in the University of California and California State University systems have reportedly had their F-1 visas terminated without clear justification, fueling fears of increased deportations and hindering international enrollment.
Overall, the protest underscored a broad coalition determined to defend the structural integrity and democratic foundation of higher education against policies perceived as undermining the nation's academic and constitutional principles.
