Around 200 protesters gathered outside of Day Hall for a Thursday rally of support for Momodou Taal, a pro-Palestinian demonstration leader and international graduate student.
Taal, a Ph.D. candidate in Africana studies, is one of three Cornell plaintiffs who are suing the federal government, claiming that the enforcement of two national security-related executive orders passed by President Donald Trump violates their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
Cornell’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors organized the “emergency rally” after Taal posted on X alleging that “law enforcement from an unidentified agency came to [his] home.” Taal stated that he believed “they planned to detain [him]” and asked the public to “come to [his] defense.”
The Department of Justice sent Taal’s lawyers an email on Friday requesting him to turn himself into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Four people spoke at the protest: Eric Lee, the plaintiffs’ attorney, Christopher Godshall-Bennett, legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Prof. Sandra Babcock, law and Prof. Risa Lieberwitz, labor, who is also the Cornell AAUP president.
Protesters gathered wearing keffiyehs, masks and signs that read: “Education Not Deportation,” “Stand Up Fight Back” and “Hands Off Momodou & Free Speech.” One protester held an upside-down American flag.
A protestor holds aloft and upside down American flag at Thursday's rally. Ming DeMers/Sun Senior Photographer
“To the Trump administration, our message is simple: Keep your hands off our students,” Babcock said.
Protesters also chanted “Hands off our students” and “Hands off Momodou” and continued to push the University to protect students’ academic freedom, freedom of speech and due process rights.
The goal of the rally was to “deliver a message” to Cornell’s administration and trustees that they “should stand with us” to protect Cornellians’ freedoms, according to Lieberwitz.
“Without academic freedom, freedom of speech and due process we do not have a University,” Lieberwitz said to The Sun. “The Cornell administration should increase their activity to push back against the Trump executive orders and increase their activity to protect everybody on campus.”
To start the event, Lee read a statement on behalf of Taal — who is banned from campus for the remainder of the semester due to his involvement in the disruption of a career fair attended by defense contractors L3Harris and Boeing.
“‘I wish I could be with you all in person, but the situation has got to the point where it is no longer safe,’” Lee said on Taal’s behalf, referencing the reported presence of law enforcement at Taal’s place of residence on Thursday.
Godshall-Bennett said that he believes the federal government is actively “scoping out” places where they believe Taal might be. Godshall-Bennett is one of Taal’s attorneys, and the ADC filed the First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of the three plaintiffs.
“This is a naked attempt at intimidation,” Godshall-Bennett said at the rally. “It is a complete and utter aberration from what you'd expect to be the norm when someone asserts their rights in federal court.”
Demonstrators hold signs denouncing deportation and suspension during rally in front of Day Hall. Stephan Menasche/Sun Assistant Photography Editor
“We will not be silent,” Lieberwitz said. “We will not capitulate to their authoritarian actions from the administration to remove our colleagues, whether they are students, faculty or staff, we call on the Cornell administration and the trustees to stand with us.” Her speech was met with cheers of support.
The events follow the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian demonstration leader and recent Columbia master’s graduate, by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 8 despite being a lawful U.S. resident on a green card.
At the rally, Lee also read a statement from Khalil, who he had been in touch with two hours before the event. Khalil is currently being held in a Louisiana detention center, and his case will be heard in a New Jersey court, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.
“‘This is just the beginning in the attack on democracy,’” Lee said on behalf of Khalil. “‘If they can go after me, they can go after you, citizens, included, to the American people, it is time to stand up to defend our basic right to free speech before it's too late.’”
Benjamin Leynse ’27 contributed reporting.
