Gonzaga students organize campus protest against hate and fascism April 11

Gonzaga students organize campus protest against hate and fascism April 11

News Brief by FāVS News Staff

Student groups from Gonzaga University are holding a protest on Herak Quad and walking through campus on Friday, April 11 at 12:10 p.m., to call upon GU’s administration to stand up against hate, fascism and attacks on higher education. This protest is organized by student groups “Do Better Gonzaga,” “Fossil Free Gonzaga,” “Gonzaga Mutual Aid” and “Gonzaga Community for Justice in Palestine.” 

Organizers anticipate this will be the largest demonstration on Gonzaga’s campus in the past year, said the event’s April 10 press release.

The protest is calling on the Gonzaga administration to vocalize and materialize resistance to fascism and attacks on higher education, to protect all students, to establish the university as a sanctuary campus and to stand by the values espoused in the university’s mission statement. 

“The GU administration has an obligation to protect its students and resist attacks on higher education,” said Do Better Gonzaga member, Kevin Pinkelman. “Under the Trump administration, these attacks feel inevitable. Gonzaga has a choice to make: stand up and resist, or stay silent. History, and President Thayne McCulloh’s legacy, will remember what Gonzaga did in this crucial moment.” 

The demonstration is scheduled one day before Gonzaga’s Accepted Students Day. Organizers hope to engage with potential future students and display the importance of social justice advocacy on Gonzaga’s campus.

Friday’s demonstration will start on Herak Quad where members of the Gonzaga community will make brief speeches detailing the demands and purpose of the protest. These speeches will be followed by group activities and a march throughout campus.

Protest facilitators prioritize peace and liberation for all people and building a future where humanity is truly free, according to the event’s press release.