On Saturday, Nov. 15, students from more than 10 colleges in the Greater Boston Area gathered in the Back Bay Fens to urge universities to stand up to the Trump administration and protect their students. Organized by the Educational Freedom Project, the rally featured speeches from activists, student organizers, state representatives and prominent federal workers. The speakers covered a wide variety of topics, from the Trump administration's immigration crackdown to universities transitioning from diversity equity and inclusion initiatives and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits being cut. In addition to the speakers, there was a live band and many local student activist organizations tabled in the park.  

Shubh Agrawal, a member of the Northeastern Graduate Researcher and Teacher Student Union (GENU) and second-year Ph.D. student, took the stage to discuss Northeastern University's hostile negotiation tactics with the Union. Agrawal is involved in negotiations between GENU and Northeastern and asserted that “in the 20 months since we began bargaining, Northeastern has shown no interest in listening to its workers.” He told the crowd how in May, Northeastern gave a final offer to GENU, and when the union returned with a counteroffer rather than a signed deal, the University denied the counteroffer, lowered the proposed pay rates and halted negotiations. Agrawal continued, saying that Northeastern graduate workers often make below what is necessary to afford the cost of living in Boston and Northeastern’s proposal gives workers raises that fall below the rate of inflation. Agrawal also accused the University of exploiting loopholes — in a funding guarantee that promises Ph.D. students a job for at least five years — to “fire workers for essentially any reason.” Agrawal concluded that Northeastern will not do the right thing unless students and employers stand together and pressure the school into action. 

Also at the demonstration was James McAffery, the founder of Harvard University's Students for Freedom which is an organization standing up to the Trump administration's attacks on universities. McAffrey told the crowd that he’s not much of an activist; he’s a first-generation student from Oklahoma City who had never been to a protest before this year, but he is speaking out “because it is essential to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.” 

McAffrey, along with several other students, founded SFF after he saw Columbia University fall in line with the president’s demands with little to no resistance. These students felt it was necessary to preemptively protest to send a message to Harvard and other schools across the country that they should not give in to Trump. Two days after SFF’s first demonstration, Harvard sued the Trump administration. McAffrey told the crowd that subsequently, “President Trump has cut billions of dollars in funding, accused the University of civil rights violations and has threatened to deport thousands of students simply because of where they go to school.” Despite all this, McAffrey declared that Harvard must stay strong and continue to stand up to Trump as a distinct leader in higher education. He highlighted that other universities have already been following Harvard’s lead, saying, “Just in the past few weeks, seven of nine universities denied President Trump's offer to sign a compact and have pushed back.”

McAffrey stressed the importance of collaboration between students. He hopes that if the movement continues to grow in magnitude, the federal government will have to listen to students' demands. He concluded his speech by focusing on the future and addressing concerns of authoritarianism in the country. McAffrey has a hopeful view for the future and does not believe that authoritarianism will rise in the United States. He predicts that Americans of all backgrounds and political views, conservatives and liberals alike, will stand up for free speech, the rule of law and freedom. 

Next, two students from Northeastern offered a different narrative to the crowd. Student Body President Julian Herzing-Burkard and Executive Vice President Dylan Lee spoke. Lee said that while he understands that Northeastern has been forced to make hard choices by the Trump administration, he urges the University to be more transparent in its actions and with its students. Lee acknowledged the need for “strategic compromise” but demanded that students must be kept informed about their university's ongoing changes. Herzing-Burkard emphasized the importance of community in these trying and uncertain times. He stated that “we as a community will not compromise on our principles, we will not compromise on our values and we will not allow our institutions and fellow students to be stomped on by spineless politicians.” Herzing-Burkard reasserted that united students form a powerful group and that they should not let their voices be silenced.  

Ayanna Pressley, United States House representative for the seventh congressional district of Massachusetts, called out the Trump administration and encouraged student activists to be unapologetically themselves. She reminded the audience that schools are at the heart of civil rights and progress and claimed that the Trump administration is attacking academic freedom because education is a cornerstone of democracy. She called out House Republicans for voting to cut health insurance and government aid. Pressley delivered an uplifting message to the institutions of higher education in Massachusetts, saying, “Remember who you are. Do not shrink in the face of these precise coordinated attacks on our intellectual freedom. Root yourselves in your mission, in truth, in the sacred calling to educate a democracy worthy of its name.” She then spoke directly to young people, encouraging them to step up and lead in the movement for educational freedom and fight to preserve democracy. She urged students to “organize, agitate, mobilize across campuses and across communities,” and to work to create a better democracy and world. Pressley told the students present that there is power in their voices and implored them to use it and be authentically and unapologetically themselves. 

Several speakers addressed other pressing issues, such as deportations, cuts to SNAP benefits, the alleged rise of fascism and the experiences of students with disabilities. While the event cannot be embodied by one mission statement it served as a common gathering of different movements bringing together activists and students from a range of backgrounds, all fighting their own distinct battles. It was an exchange of stories and insights, encouraging collaboration and solidarity between communities in the Greater Boston Area.