Lawmakers and NYC college faculty organize rally to protest pullback on federal funding to colleges
City University of New York faculty organized the rally outside of New York City’s City Hall to protest federal funding cuts to public colleges and universities.
The chancellor of the City University of New York appeared in front of lawmakers the day after the rally, responding to questions in a hearing about prevailing anti-Semitism on the university’s campus.
City University of New York (CUNY) faculty and staff organized a July 14 rally near City Hall to protest the Trump administration’s cutbacks on funding to public colleges and universities.
The protest was attended by several New York City politicians, including Representative Jerry Nadler, CUNY union leaders, and members of the New York City Assembly and State Legislature, as reported by The Indypendent.
In a post uploaded to X by The Indypendent, individuals gathered at the rally can be seen holding signs that include slogans such as: “Stop the war on universities,” “No faculty purges,” and “Stop the MAGA war on higher ed.”
With CUNY being targeted by the new McCarthyism sweeping U.S. college campuses, members of @psccuny rallied in City Hall Park Monday. Their rally came one day before the head of CUNY was to testify at a congressional hearing on alleged campus anti-semitism. 📽️ Nina Berman pic.twitter.com/XLvRVsJGgg
— @TheIndypendent (@TheIndypendent) July 16, 2025
Calling the current climate “the New McCarthyism,” James Davis, the president of the CUNY union, stated that the hearing is “another cynical attempt to use real anxiety about rising antisemitism to ambush university leaders, smear faculty, slash funding, and delegitimize institutions that are essential for a working democracy.”
The group organized the protest in response to the CUNY Chancellor’s scheduled testimony on Capitol Hill. On July 15, he responded to lawmakers about issues of anti-Semitism on campus. UC Berkeley’s Chancellor and Georgetown University’s President were also at the congressional hearing.
While testifying, CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez stated that “Antisemitism has no place at CUNY,” and that the University holds a “commitment to the safety of the members of our Jewish community, and to our entire community,” as reported by CBS News.
Authorities arrested several pro-Palestine protesters for disrupting the proceedings. The UC Berkeley chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine posted a series of videos highlighting protesters. The group added, “We also resolutely reject any witch hunts against Palestinian and Palestinian-allied faculty and staff” and “stand in solidarity” with professors accused of antisemitism. One featured protester alleged that tuition dollars funded the genocide of Palestinians.
[RELATED: ‘Blood on your hands’: Wisconsin regents’ houses defaced with anti-Israel graffiti]
This was only the most recent outburst by CUNY-affiliated protesters. Two months ago, pro-Palestine protesters assaulted NYPD officers, the New York Post reported. That incident led to condemnation by a bipartisan group of New York lawmakers.
As CUNY administrators and activists spar over the Israel-Palestine conflict, Columbia University has just agreed to compensate students and victims of anti-Semitism and to restore previously suspended federal funding.
Campus Reform contacted the City University of New York for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
