In an academic year rife with tensions between students, University administrators, and the Trump administration, UR students have taken a stand on activism in university settings.
The undergraduate-led Petition to Defend Student Activism, Free Expression, and Academic Freedom at the University of Rochester calls for the University to stop “actively silencing its students,” listing out specific demands that range from a declaration that free speech is protected in the University, to the reversal of disciplinary action against student protestors.
The petition was circulated on Instagram by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and has since gained over 100 signatures from the University community.
Senior and Organizing Chair of SDS Elena Perez was one of many who signed and endorsed the petition. When asked about why, they stated that they believe some of the University’s current policies do not allow for intellectual and personal development.
“There can be no affirmation of students’ right to free expression without the removal of excessive surveillance and policing, whether that surveillance and policing comes from administration or external enforcement agencies,” Perez told the Campus Times.
Editor’s note: this article was edited 5/9/2025 to remove the name of the petition’s author for safety concerns.
