Around 100 Princeton University students and left-leaning groups staged a protest on November 7, 2025, to oppose what they described as the “authoritarianism” and “oppression” of President Trump’s administration. The demonstration, held outside the university’s Firestone Library, featured speeches, music, and signs advocating for a range of progressive issues.
The protest was led by student organizations such as Sunrise Princeton and Students for Prison Education, Abolition & Reform (SPEAR). Organizers linked their grievances to federal immigration enforcement, academic freedom, climate policy, and U.S. foreign policy. The event also expressed solidarity with Palestinian causes, with signs referencing Gaza and calls to end university ties to military and law enforcement entities.
Speakers claimed that academic institutions had been pressured by government policies under President Trump. Andrew Cole, a professor of political theory, accused Cornell University of accepting $60 million in what he called “extortion” from the federal government. Kristin Nagy, a student with SPEAR, referred to the Trump administration as “unabashedly fascist.”
Protesters also called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and criticized university cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Several signs labeled ICE enforcement as “state violence” and demanded that Princeton cut ties with any entities linked to detention or deportation efforts.
The protest went beyond specific Trump-era policies and included broader criticism of systemic issues in American governance and higher education. Demonstrators displayed artwork and banners linking climate justice, immigrant rights, and anti-racism campaigns.
Despite being promoted as a rally for democratic values and free expression, the demonstration reflected the growing intersection of multiple activist agendas on college campuses. The convergence of domestic and international issues underscores how campus protests are evolving into platforms for broader ideological coalitions.
