Students from universities across Washington, D.C., gathered outside the Department of Education on April 4 for the “Hands Off Our Schools” rally to protest the Trump administration’s targeting of universities nationwide.
Student governments from District institutions — including American University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Temple University and George Mason University — formed a coalition after the Department of Education sent a letter in February targeting the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives of 60 universities and threatening to cut federal funding if schools do not comply with their requests.
“We are seeking the freedom to maintain our campus cultures and identities; and – when problems arise – the freedom to resolve them with the administrators of our schools, not the president of the United States,” the coalition wrote in their list of demands before the protest.
The coalition was organized by Georgetown students and members of their student government — Darius Wagner, Ethan Henshaw, Asher Maxwell, Reilly Souther and Emily Han — according to Wagner and Henshaw.
“Student voices are the key, and have been the key, often in history, inspiring change,” Wagner, a sophomore at Georgetown, said. “We know that if we hold this coalition together, expand it and build a broader risk, we can send a much larger message, and much more powerful message that makes clear students aren't rolling over to Trump’s demands.”
Former Representative Jamaal Bowman spoke at the rally. He denounced the cuts made from the Department of Education and encouraged students to speak out.
“Donald Trump doesn’t know a damn thing about public education,” Bowman said to the crowd. “Elon Musk doesn’t know a damn thing about public education. Linda McMahon doesn’t know a damn thing about public education.”
According to an Instagram post from the George Washington University Student Government Association, signed off by the GW chapters of Democracy Matters and First Gen United, it decided to no longer endorse the rally after it was announced that Bowman would be speaking at the event, citing his “disrespect toward the Jewish community.” In November 2024, Bowman called the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas against Israelis “propaganda” and “lies,” which he later apologized for.
Signs were handed out to protestors that included phrases such as, “Hands off our schools,” “Free speech is not negotiable,” “You can’t erase history,” and “Protect our schools.” Protestors also participated in chants including “Hands off our schools” and “Give us back our DOE, you can’t take free speech from me.”
Protestors were given red bandanas symbolizing their support for Title IX. Protestors received cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center that informed them of their constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments while AU Student Government Vice President Julia Comino spoke about safety procedures.
SG President Arusa Islam said in an interview the night before the rally that members of SG were working to ensure that this protest was a safe one. She said that they have reached out to different professors to ask how SG can protect students with international visas and are compiling resources from the American Civil Liberties Union.
At the rally, SG Vice President-elect Quinn Fitzpatrick, who was attending with Task Force for Democracy, shared that multiple members of the organization brought money in case they needed to pay bail. He said they also wrote down, on their arms or paper, the names of people they could call in the event of arrest.
Comino, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication, spoke at the rally regarding Title IX.
“I can tell you that no matter where you are, no matter where you are on your campus, if you’re in K-12, if you’re at a college campus, if you’re in a blue state or a red one, students need Title IX,” Comino said.
Kaden Ouimet, a sophomore in SPA and president of the Task Force for Democracy, talked about Project 2025 and book bans in Florida. He encouraged protestors to chant along with him about the importance of education.
“Money for schools and education, not for wars and deportations,” Ouimet chanted.
Cassie Abano, a first-year student at George Washington University and the communications director for the GW chapter of ACLU of D.C., participated in the People’s March and heard about the protest through the DC Resistance Retreat. The Retreat was held to “learn how to organize, know your rights, and hold decision-makers accountable.” Abano came to the protest to speak out for her friends, many of whom are international students, and to be there for other members of the ACLU.
Abano said she hopes the protest will prevent getting rid of the Department of Education and that collaboration between universities is important.
“I just feel inspired by the other people here who are taking such initiative, and it inspires me to be a better person and a better participant in student organizing,” Abano said.
University students were joined by students in K-12 D.C. public schools and other adults affected by the dismantling of the Department of Education, such as teachers.
Diane Kendall, a preschool teacher from New York, was visiting the District and stumbled upon the protest. Kendall said she hoped people would involve themselves in supporting the Department of Education, and she applauded students for organizing the rally.
SG organized an event the previous night where students could make posters and signs to bring to the rally. Some of these signs read, “Hands Off Our Title IX — F--- That Perp President” and “Hands Off Our Schools, Students For Democracy, Free Speech, Civil Right[s] Learning.”
The rally ended after a speech from Mary Beth Tinker, the lead plaintiff in the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District case. Students in Des Moines, Iowa wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War in 1965. In response, the school suspended them. They took the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 1969 that the students had their First Amendment rights violated. Tinker now speaks around the country advocating for students’ freedom of speech.
“I feel grief. I’m grieving right now, absolutely,” Tinker said. “Because some of these corrupt senators in Congress, people are not standing up for you.”
This article was edited by Abigail Hatting, Tyler Davis and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Hannah Langenfeld, Ella Rousseau and Ariana Kavoossi. Fact checking done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella and Tatiana Pruss.
