Members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led a protest Tuesday with members of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee and Asians For Palestine (AFP). The protest campaigned against Donald Trump’s election and policy and honored those who have lost their lives due to transphobic violence.
The protest began at the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Union around 4 p.m. and protesters marched through campus until they organized near the Donhowe Building.
Members of all activist groups spoke out against Trump’s reelection, citing concerns for the safety of many communities both on and off the University’s campus. Freyja Wolfe, a member of SDS, acknowledged the danger that Trump could pose but emphasized the value that the voices of a student body could have.
“He is a transphobic, homophobic, classist, racist asshole,” Wolfe said. “But we have power, in general, and specifically on this campus. We, as a student body, have power, even if our administration likes to think otherwise.”
The protest, which lasted about an hour, emphasized students’ worries about Trump’s term and acknowledged the harm that his presidency could have on marginalized communities both in and out of the United States. Protesters highlighted that Trump’s policy during his first presidency was hard on minority and LGBTQ+ communities, but many fear his possible involvement with Project 2025 could make life much harder for many Americans.
Despite Trump’s attempts to downplay and distance himself from Project 2025, a blueprint for a conservative presidency created by the conservative organization The Heritage Foundation, many of his appointed cabinet members have had involvement in the creation of the initiative.
This involvement, along with his past scandals and controversy, has sparked initiative in members like Katya Hickey, who said being limited in her protest options during Trump’s first presidency pushed her to act as his second approaches.
“It isn’t vibes-based politics. We’re not going to defeat Trump with hope,” Hickey said. “But we also can’t give in to despair, either, because we lose when we stop fighting.”
This protest comes a day before Transgender Day of Remembrance, a heavy focus for the groups. The day serves as a memorial to transgender victims of violence and hate, as well as honoring those who have lost their lives due to transphobia.
Fae, an SDS speaker who asked to only use her first name due to the sensitivity of the topic, said her transgender friend, Spencer Castle, recently died from suicide.
“There’s nothing I can really say to express the impact that he had on my life, and so many other people’s,” Fae said.
Fae added that although Castle was dear to her, the grief that she has felt is a far too common experience within the transgender community.
“Far too many trans lives are lost each year,” Fae said. “Trans people are subjected to higher murder rates, and suicide is far too common.”
This protest is one of the first organized on campus since the election, and the first one that some groups have participated in since the election day protest on Nov. 6. This is also the first protest of the school year where cold weather was an issue.
Even with the cold looming, SDS member Isaac Stets said these protests are not ending anytime soon, even as winter begins to bring freezing temperatures to campus.
“We’re extremely flexible in our tactics, and we’re not limited to just doing a standing protest like this,” Stets said. “We’re able to do more actions inside, where people can stay warm, that aren’t protests but still get our word out and still keep our presence on campus.”
Stets also said that SDS remains dedicated to keeping up activity on campus, no matter the weather.
“We’re going to be putting effort into keeping our presence for the winter,” Stets said. “I know that’s an issue in a lot of organizing, and we’re very committed to keeping the energy flowing in any way possible while innovating new tactics to do that.”
