Rally for the Right to Learn! Hands Off Higher Ed and Hands Off Our Students!
Date: April 17, 2025
Time: 15:00:00
Location: Washington Square Park
A rally titled “Rally for the Right to Learn! Hands Off Higher Ed and Hands Off Our Students!” is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 3:00 PM in Washington Square Park, organized as part of the national Day of Action by the Coalition for Action in Higher Education.
Event Overview
This event is being organized by activist groups using academic language to shield a deeper political agenda. While framed as a defense of education, it is, in reality, a direct backlash against federal efforts to enforce campus accountability and confront extremism. Rally organizers are protesting the legal consequences faced by pro-Palestine faculty and students who have promoted antisemitic rhetoric or glorified terrorist acts. The rally includes open resistance to Trump-era executive orders on campus safety, rejection of limits on radical DEI programs, and opposition to actions taken against those spreading hateful or inciteful speech under the guise of academic freedom.
Though the messaging is packaged in progressive language, the true intent is to protect impunity and defy lawful government oversight. The protest is less about education and more about maintaining extremist strongholds within the university system.
Organizers’ Background
The groups behind this rally include NYU educators and activist allies who have repeatedly defended campus speakers and demonstrators that promote antisemitism, justify terrorism, and blame Jewish communities for global injustices. These organizers consistently reject institutional reforms, deny the legitimacy of Jewish safety concerns, and seek to enshrine hate speech as an untouchable form of protest. Their efforts aim not to protect students but to preserve a campus culture where hostility toward Jews, Israel, and Western institutions is normalized.
Safety Advisory
If you’re in or near Washington Square Park on April 17:
Avoid the area starting early afternoon
Expect high tension, media presence, and potential agitators
Be aware of possible counter-protests or confrontations
Report any threatening behavior or signs of violence to NYPD
How You Can Help
Share this alert with your network to help expose the true nature of this protest.
Protect your community by staying informed and aware of extremist events hiding behind false narratives.
Stay alert. Stay safe.
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