Around 400 people gathered for a protest in front of Geisel Library at 12 p.m. on Friday. The rally was part of a series of nationwide protests in opposition to the Trump administration’s recent actions impacting the scientific community, including mass layoffs and funding freezes for institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recent changes in funding for the NIH and the National Science Foundation threaten multiple UC San Diego research projects. Speakers expressed that they were rallying to defend scientific research and academia, noting that UCSD is one of the few universities in the nation with a climate change requirement in its general education curriculum.
Protestors held signs that read, “Science works for you,” and “Think while it is still legal.”
Throughout the rally, protesters chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, Trump’s attacks have got to go,” and “What will we do? Stand up for science.”
Rally organizers handed out a media statement, explaining the reason for the demonstration at UCSD.
“Faculty, staff, and students will come together to hold our institutions and our elected representatives accountable to fight against the illegal and unconstitutional actions of the Trump administration that are already seriously and permanently damaging the scientific enterprise, the livelihood of scientists, and the health and well-being of everyone in America,” the statement read.
The statement further detailed the protesters’ grievances.
“Federal support for science is being disrupted by 1) unlawful firings at national scientific centers and grant funding agencies, 2) cancellation of meetings that review and make funding decisions, 3) directives to censor language in scientific publications, types of research conducted, and access to data, 4) purging of federal programs and threats of withholding funding from institutions if they engage in efforts to train the next-generation of diverse scientists and ensure that the benefits of science are justly distributed, and 5) proposed cuts to overhead funding that would force layoffs of critical support staff and hobble scientific efforts for years to come,” the statement listed.
Additionally, the flyer featured a QR code that linked to an advocacy sheet, which features a sample script to call for federal funding of scientific research, along with contact information for local representatives.
At 2 p.m., protestors gathered at Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego to continue their protest.
This is an ongoing story. The UCSD Guardian will publish a full article in its upcoming issue.
