Nearly 125 protesters marched in the “Take Back Our University” rally from Ho Plaza to Day Hall on Thursday afternoon, petitioning the University in support of a plethora of different causes.
The rally, which was jointly organized by Cornell American Association of University Professors, Cornell Collective for Justice in Palestine, Cornell Graduate Students United and Cornell on Fire, protested against the war in Gaza, climate change, and for the rights of graduate, international and transgender students.
The protesters first gathered on Ho Plaza at 12 p.m. to hear introductory speeches before marching to Day Hall at around 12:30 p.m., where speeches continued as a small group of onlookers confronted the demonstrators.
While protesting, demonstrators from across the four organizations held signs that read “Stop making deals with Trump,” “Viva viva Palestina” and “CGSU-UE is powered by queer workers,” among others.
Rally organizer Prof. Tracy McNulty, French and comparative literature, emphasized the unity of these organizations.
“One thing that was important for us in planning this protest was to get involvement from a lot of different groups on campus who have not been working together in the past, or who have not been perceived as working towards the same thing,” McNulty said. “The aim is that this [rally] would be kind of a big tent protest, really urging the need to support one another across these different causes.”
McNulty said that going into the 2025-2026 academic year, Cornell’s campus can expect to see more collective action protests featuring several united organizations.
On several occasions, the protest faced backlash while in front of Day Hall from onlookers. One driver yelled, “terrorists, pieces of sh*t, f*ck you” through the window of their moving car to the demonstrators. At another point, two students shouted at the crowd while walking by, with one yelling, “Take off your masks.” The other shouted, “I love facism” during a speech by Prof. Russell Rickford, history, about rejecting fascism.
Following being heckled by the passerby, Rickford responded by saying, “I can tell — You don’t have to bend the knee for fascism to thrive. Just shut your mouth.”
A crowd of nearly 10 onlookers gathered to watch the protest in front of Day Hall, filming and talking before confronting some protesters on the outskirts of the demonstration.
A group of onlookers gather outside of Day Hall during the "Take Back Our University."
Prof. Risa Lieberwitz, industrial and labor relations, former president of Cornell’s chapter of AAUP, spoke about the danger academic freedom faces under President Trump’s funding cuts to select universities. Lieberwitz urged Cornell to say “no to capitulation” when it comes to President Trump’s demands.
CGSU-UE President and Ph.D. candidate Ewa Nizalowska immediately followed with a speech about the fear graduate workers have to speak out in support of certain issues.
“We have seen Cornell deliberately target graduate workers who have stood up for Palestinian rights,” Nizalowska said. “We have to protect each other from unjust firing, suspicions and attacks. We will continue to do so as long as our employer remains complicit and continues to punish its most vulnerable workers for speaking out against them.”
An international student at the rally, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of federal retribution, said that the way “the issue of Palestine has been treated” since they came to the United States makes them feel like they can’t “speak out openly” due to how other colleagues have been treated for speaking out on similar issues.
A protester holds a sign that reads "Stop the Deportations" on Ho Plaza.
International students have faced nationwide targeting under the Trump administration, and examples of pro-Palestinian activist students facing retribution has fanned fears of deportation at Cornell. Momodou Taal ’25, a former international Ph.D. student and pro-Palestine activist, faced potential deportation after suing the federal government over alleged First Amendment violations in March. He later self-deported after a brief legal battle.
In attendance were several protesters who had previously received disciplinary action from the University, including graduate student Sriram Parasurnama, plant science, and bethany ojalehto mays, a former Cornell professor and Cornell on Fire representative.
Parasurama was disenrolled for the entire 2024-2025 academic year following his participation in the Statler Hall career fair disruption which featured representatives from Boeing and L3Harris. Parasurnama was recently reinstated into the college following the resolution of his disciplinary hearing in July.
ojalehto mays participated in a Cornell on Fire protest on commencement in May that led to her receiving persona non grata status — which banned her from Cornell property for the next three years. The PNG has since been adjusted to a one-year ban on the Arts Quad, with the activist still permitted on campus otherwise. ojalehto mays was present on Ho Plaza for the Thursday rally. She did not respond to a request for comment concerning the current status of her property ban from Cornell in time for publication.
In an interview before the protest, The Sun spoke with ojalehto mays and her co-representative Prof. Shimon Edelman, psychology.
Shimon and ojalehto mays encouraged Cornell's undergraduate student body to collectively act and organize.
“Once students are organized properly, nothing can stop them,” Shimon said. “And, of course, these are the real stakeholders in the University. They should have the decisive voice.”
ojalehto mays also shared the perspective that students have power and will be the ones to ultimately enact change while giving a message to students.
“It is going to be a bottom up movement and, students, you're on the precipice,” ojalehto mays said. “The future is disintegrating, and you do have great power because the University ostensibly exists to serve you.”
Clarification, Aug. 29, 11:05 a.m.: This article has been updated to reflect bethany ojalehto mays' updated persona non grata status, which is now limited to the Arts Quad.
