Georgetown University students protested Nov. 7 against President Donald Trump’s policies impacting higher education in a demonstration which coincided with the start of similar protests in Washington, D.C., slated for the coming weeks.
Around 45 Georgetown students gathered in Red Square to launch a letter campaign urging Eduardo M. Peñalver, the incoming university president, to resist federal influence over the university. Over 100 protests took place across the country on the same day, led by Students Rise Up, a coalition of student advocacy groups, who called for a national day of action.
Emily Han (CAS ’25), who helped organize the letter-signing, said the campaign was the next step in a series of actions aimed at encouraging Peñalver to preserve academic freedom and increase pressure on the Trump administration.
“His vision for higher education is really destructive, and we’re already seeing its effects,” Han told The Hoya. “I know historically students have been at the forefront of a lot of pro-democracy movements. I think it’s our role right now to continue that legacy.”
Full Disclosure: Emily Han served as Graduate Relations Director for the Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 semesters; Senior Multimedia Editor for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters; and Academics Desk Editor for the Spring 2023 semester.
In October, Georgetown announced it was projected to lose $35 million in federal research grants, contributing to the university’s hiring freeze and budget cuts. In addition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s March detention of a Georgetown postdoctoral fellow, former Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin warned the Georgetown University Law Center that his office will not hire students over claims of divisive diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
The letter calls for the university to prioritize student affordability and refuse to cooperate with any future U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on campus. Students signed a large canvas with their name and student status and have opened the letter campaign to online signatories.
The letter also asks the university to protect academic freedom and free speech.
“Georgetown must not retaliate against professors or students for properly exercising their First Amendment rights,” the letter reads. “This applies to classroom discussions, curriculum designs, events protests, and all other aspects of campus life.”
A university spokesperson previously said Georgetown remains committed to protecting community members’ right to free expression and speech on campus.
“We respect the rights of members of our community to express their personal views and are committed to maintaining the values of academic freedom and serving as a forum for the free exchange of ideas, even when those ideas may be controversial and objectionable to some,” a university spokesperson wrote to The Hoya in September.
“Georgetown is committed to ensuring that all members of our community have a safe and welcoming place to learn and receive the support they need to do so,” the spokesperson added.
Daisy Fynewever (CAS ’26) — a hub coordinator of Georgetown’s chapter of the national Sunrise Movement advocacy group, which is part of the Students Rise Up coalition — said she is hopeful Peñalver will bring meaningful change to Georgetown.
“If he is willing to commit to these before arriving at Georgetown, it will mean a lot to people here at Georgetown,” Fynewever told The Hoya. “I would say that I’m hopeful about President Peñalver.”
Peñalver has criticized the Trump administration’s education policies in his previous role as president of Seattle University, characterizing federal attempts to undermine DEI efforts as a threat to higher education.
The Students Rise Up day of action comes days after the Trump administration proposed some universities, including Georgetown’s peer schools, sign a “compact” of understanding agreeing to align with the administration’s ideology on admissions, campus neutrality and other issues to unlock millions of dollars of “preferential” federal funding. Only one college nationwide, New College of Florida, has accepted the compact thus far.
Fynewever said the campaign’s objective is to secure a guarantee from Peñalver that Georgetown will not sign the compact.
“The reason why we’re doing this letter is to get an explicit commitment from him upfront, sort of forcing him to take a stance on these issues,” Fynewever said.
Scout Cardillo (CAS ’27), a national coordinator for Students Rise Up who traveled to New York City to join local students’ protests, said the day of action was setting the stage for broader strikes, protests and walkouts scheduled for May Day 2026.
“We’re looking for widespread non-cooperation with the current Trump administration,” Cardillo told The Hoya. “This is going to expand beyond schools to include things like labor, faculty, staff and students.”
The Students Rise Up day of action follows the second series of nationwide “No Kings” protests Oct. 18 and overlaps with near-daily protests in the District.
Fynewever said she remains hopeful about the future.
“I really feel like we’re at an inflection point in history,” Fynewever said. “There’s so much bad news every single day, but I think that it’s essential to believe that we can still make change.”
