Oh no, never that: Visitors wrote letters to univ. leader ‘demanding action’
Late last year, liberal University of Maryland individuals held a “sit-in” at McKeldin Mall to demand school officials “stand up ” to the Trump presidency.
The Diamondback reports over a few student teams took part, including people of Indigenous UMD, Campus Queers and Allies, and the Anti-Imperialist Action at UMD.
According to a speech from UMD’s 17 for Peace and Justice book, sit-in participants came up with seven full demands which school officials need to follow.
These include not cooperating with federal officials regarding “requests to monitor students and staff ” and providing “identifiable information, ” not assisting ICE and “other federal agencies targeting university community members, ” and providing “institutional and financial support to university community members impacted by new policies. ”
Sit-in participants “wrote postcards ” to UMD President Darryll Pines “demanding action ” on these and other items, held up protest placards, and chanted “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcomed here ” and “Money for jobs and education, not for mass deportation. ”
( Pines is one of over 400 university “presidents, chancellors and officials” who signed a letter via the American Association of Colleges and Universities “expressing their strong opposition to political interference in higher education, ” The Black Explosion reports. )
Sit-in organizer Leah Zahniser said she was “really glad ” the letters got done as it means the “administration can’t ignore us. ”
“We are here now to inform the UMD administration that this is not enough, ” Zahniser said. “The Trump administration may take any agreement as a sign of weakness and drive for more power and more attack on our privileges, because this is what demagogues do. ”
Freshman Maggie Faloon, a sit-in administrator affiliated with 17 for Peace and Justice, said “As kids, we have a lot of energy and we can control what our leadership does. ”
She added “it’s important to show the foreign individuals that we care about them. We’re hardly only going to let them be mistreated and let it be swept under the rug. ”
Pro-Hamas individuals also were in presence; Terry Goolsby, a part of UMD’s “Golden ID” system ( which allows people over age 60 to get graduate programs ), claimed the “genocide” in Palestine is “a turning place across the world. ”
Further: Trump cuts funding to UMaryland violence centre that listed quiet pro-lifers
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: UMD anti-Trump sit-in members hang out at McKeldin Mall; The Black Explosion/Instagram.
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Snapchat
