Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, April 3, Students for a Democratic Society crashed the FSU president’s ice cream social, demanding answers about the university's subservience to President Trump’s and Governor Desantis’ attacks on DEI initiatives and free speech.

Tampa, FL – On Monday, March 31, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was joined by community members and fellow students to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, and every other student protester detained by ICE. Additional demands included an end to Trump’s attacks on students and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday March 29, during Tulane University’s three-day “Bookfest” celebration, about 20 people gathered to protest Tulane’s compliance with the racist Trump agenda. Protesters united in anger at Tulane’s attacks on free speech, its cuts to DEI programs, and its plans to renew a five-year contract with the U.S. – Israel Energy Center.

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, March 27, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came together with community members to demand the release of political prisoners. This comes in the light of growing arrests and threatened deportations of pro-Palestine activists including Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia.

Jacksonville, FL – On March 27, Jacksonville Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied dozens of students to protest a speaking event which brought two Israeli occupation forces (IOF) troops to the University of North Florida. The soldiers were on campus to justify their war crimes in Gaza during the first wave of the accelerated genocide. The Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) co-sponsored the protest, and several other student and community organizations were in attendance.

San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, March 26, at noon, around 60 students gathered by the San Jose State University Student Union for a speakout for Mahmoud Khalil and other victims of ICE detainments. The program of the action put forward demands on San Jose State administration and SJSU President Cynthia Teniente Matison for increased protection against ICE, especially for mixed status and undocumented students as well as activists.

Chicago, IL – On March 13, over 150 students, staff and faculty members at the University of Illinois-Chicago rallied in front of their administration building to protest budget cuts which threaten five majors, non-tenured faculty, and cultural programs. The emergency protest was called to demand funding for education and a “chop from the top” model, as inflated admin salaries were called to attention. The protest had support from a broad collection of student organizations, faculty and local activists.

New Orleans, LA – On Wednesday, March 19, a broad group of activists congregated at Tulane University for a press conference. The groups presented an open letter addressed to the administrations of all local universities demanding they protect students, staff and faculty from the White House’s recent slew of attacks against college campuses. They demanded protections for immigrants, freedom of speech and DEI programs.

Allendale, MI — On Saturday, March 15, Grand Valley State University students and community members took part in a demonstration protesting the illegal ICE abductions of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia. They also demanded that Grand Valley take action to protect its student body from the increased repression of the Trump administration.

Baton Rouge, LA – On March 10, Louisiana State University (LSU) students and Baton Rouge community members rallied on LSU’s campus in Free Speech Alley for International Women’s Day.

In light of Trump's attacks on immigrants, one of the demands put forth by students was to put an end to the mass deportations and family separations. Students also called on the LSU administration to declare the university a sanctuary campus.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Together United Students for a Democratic Society.

On March 17th Tulane University arrested one of its students for speaking up in defense of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Last week, Tulane University closed its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion office. A Tulane student, in response to their school’s cowardly compliance with the racist Trump agenda, wore a paper sign on their backpack saying “Tulane just got rid of DEI… If you have the means, go elsewhere.”

Seattle, WA – On March 12, around 50 students and workers gathered to confront the University of Washington Board of Regents and demand no ICE on campus, divestment from Israel, and the protection of transgender students. The board had cancelled its original full meeting but kept a scheduled committee meeting at the same time, which included a vote on divestment from Israel.

Tampa, FL – On March 12, Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society led a protest to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, who is under the threat of deportation as the U.S. pushes to revoke his green card.

New York, NY – On March 11, over 1000 students from universities throughout the city rallied at Washington Square Park to protest the detention by ICE of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate and Palestinian student activist.

On March 8, Columbia University allowed ICE agents to come onto campus to detain Mahmoud Khalil. Despite being a permanent lawful resident of the country due to his green card, he is being threatened with deportation from the country in response to his activism against Israel’s genocide of his own people.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 11, over 300 people protested in front of the Federal Building downtown Minneapolis to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and an end to the Trump administration’s criminalization of the pro-Palestine student movement at U.S. The protest was a part of Student for a Democratic Society’s call for a National Day of Action in solidarity with Khalil.

On Saturday, March 8, Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents seized and detained a prominent Palestinian student leader at Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, despite his immigration status as a legal permanent resident. There are no grounds for the arrest, except that Khalil stood up for Palestine during the spring 2024 Columbia encampment for Gaza. Khalil is being illegally detained in the 2nd District in Louisiana.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from UMN Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

On March 10, after 10 days of deliberation, the University of Minnesota’s panel for the disciplinary hearing of the students arrested during the occupation of Halimy Hall decided that the student protestors were found not responsible for the unjust charges of violation of local, state or federal laws, theft, property damage, and vandalism because of the absolute lack of evidence.

Austin, TX – On the afternoon of March 8, International Women’s Day, around 400 people rallied in downtown Austin in front of the Texas State Capitol building.

Chicago, IL – On Thursday February 27, over 100 students at the University of Illinois Chicago walked out of classes to protest racist Republican attacks on immigrants. The walk out was called by the UIC chapter of New Students for a Democratic Society as part of a national SDS week of action to demand ICE off campus, no deportations, and legalization for all.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from by UMN SDS.

On the second day of the Halimy Hall suspension hearings there were three big takeaways.

Witnesses inside Halimy hall state they would like to see Halimy hall arrestees participate in restorative justice. When asked about restorative justice for the students, witnesses from inside Halimy Hall said they would be interested in seeing the students have a restorative justice option as opposed to further punitive punishment. This contrasts the university's multiple denials of a restorative justice proposal by the legal team, in which they claim restorative justice is exclusively used for academic cases, refusing to consider the social and historical context behind this case and firmly placing it among cases of sexual misconduct in how it can be handled.