D.C. students protest Trump’s National Guard order, demand schools resist federal cooperation
College students in Washington, D.C. hosted a walkout protest on Sept. 9 to oppose President Trump’s decision to call in the National Guard.
The demonstrations occurred at Howard University, American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University.
College students in Washington, D.C. hosted a walkout protest on Sept. 9 to oppose President Trump’s decision to call in the National Guard.
At Howard University, about 100 students protested the National Guard’s deployment in D.C. and their university’s silence, chanting “Free D.C.” and “Free Howard” while speaking against a military presence, according to WTOP.
A media representative from Howard University declined to comment.
Hundreds of American University students, faculty, staff, and local residents marched to the international studies building, calling on university leaders to support activism against federal actions in D.C. and urging Mayor Muriel Bowser to end cooperation with federal law enforcement, according to The Washington Post.
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Protests were also held at George Washington University and Georgetown University.
One of the organizers of the mass demonstration, the Sunrise Movement, stated before the protest that “DC students are rising together” and that they “reject fear,” according to WUSA9.
The group demanded that universities “fight” for their “students by resisting cooperation with Trump’s goons every step of the way” and that Congress “reverse the state of exception and refuse to extend Trump’s takeover of our city.”
The organization argued the federal presence has put the city “under attack,” arguing that “Trump has sent the military to patrol our streets and ICE to take away our loved ones.”
According to its website, the Sunrise Movement is a youth-led climate organization aiming to end the influence of “fossil fuel elites,” invest in marginalized communities, and create union jobs.
“Together, we will force the government to end the era of fossil fuel elites, invest in Black, brown and working class communities, and create millions of good union jobs,” the website explains.
The movement mobilizes young people to “disrupt business as usual,” shift public opinion, and advocate for Green New Deal policies.
Campus Reform reported in August that several D.C. universities, including several of the ones that played home to protests on Sept. 9, limit campus police from carrying firearms and prioritize diversity and de-escalation training.
At American University, officers are unarmed, use nonlethal tools, receive de-escalation training, and the university refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Georgetown University equips officers with batons and pepper spray, provides implicit bias and cultural competency training, and partners with campus diversity offices for specialized programs.
Finally, George Washington University keeps most officers unarmed while requiring armed supervisors to complete regular social justice and mental health response training.
Campus Reform has contacted George Washington University, Georgetown University, and American University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
