Hundreds rally on Sproul Plaza to protest attacks on higher education
Demonstrators gathered Wednesday to speak out against cuts to federal research funding and other recent government actions.
March 20, 2025
On Wednesday, hundreds of UC Berkeley faculty, students and community members gathered outside Sproul Hall to protest ongoing attacks on higher education by the Trump administration.
The demonstration, dubbed the “Rally to Defend Our University,” was organized by the Berkeley Faculty for the Freedom to Learn. Protestors spoke out against recent actions against Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and other schools that have seen federal research funding rescinded, threats from the U.S. Department of Justice and other forms of retaliation.
“Let’s show each other and the world that we will defend and protect the right of every last member of our community to speak, learn, teach, research and work in safety and freedom,” organizers wrote in a note promoting the rally. “Now is the time to act.”
Above, see photos from the rally taken by UC Berkeley’s Diego Moran.