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City of Cambridge to hold protest pushing Harvard to stand up to Trump
Saturday’s “Stand Up, Harvard!” rally calls on the university to push back against the Trump administration’s threats to withhold federal funding.
The city of Cambridge is holding a protest Saturday to urge Harvard University to push back against the Trump administration’s threat to withhold federal funding if the institution doesn’t slash DEI initiatives and crack down on student organizations.
Cambridge City Council organized the “Stand Up, Harvard! Rally to Stop the Domino Effect,” which will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Cambridge Common.
In an X post on Friday, Cambridge city officials encouraged supporters to attend Saturday’s rally and sought signatures for a petition that pushes Harvard to publicly condemn the Trump administration’s demands.
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“As Harvard faces a choice on how to respond to the demands of the Trump administration, we want to ensure that Harvard stands up for its values,” city officials wrote on X.
Saturday’s protest follows threats by the federal government to withhold $9 billion in funding if Harvard doesn’t abide by a list of demands that targets DEI initiatives and pro-Palestinian student groups. The letter, sent to Harvard officials by Trump’s antisemitism task force on April 3, prompted Harvard to ban activities organized by a pro-Palestinain student group.
“Ordinarily the city should not be telling Harvard what to do and vice versa,” City Councilor Patricia Nolan told the Boston Globe. “However Harvard’s response to this situation will dramatically affect the city.”
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In a statement released on March 31, Harvard President Alan Garber said: “We resolve to take the measures that will move Harvard and its vital mission forward while protecting our community and its academic freedom. By doing so, we combat bias and intolerance as we create the conditions that foster the excellence in teaching and research that is at the core of our mission. Our commitment to these ends — and to the teaching and research at the heart of our University — will not waver.”
The Harvard Crimson reported that as of the 2024 fiscal year, Harvard’s endowment was $53.2 billion.
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