USF students protest DeSantis' education policies
On Feb. 23, students at the University of South Florida, along with students at other state universities across Florida, held a protest against Governor Ron DeSantis’ education policies.
Protesters held signs with messages including 'EDUCATION IS LIBERATION' and 'Dear Governor DeFascist: Trans rights are NOT up for debate, but your BIGOTRY sure is!!!'
On Feb. 23, students at the University of South Florida (USF), along with students at other state universities and colleges across Florida, held a protest against Governor Ron DeSantis’ education policies.
The protest consisted of students with various signs verbalizing their displeasure at the DeSantis administration’s recent attempts to curb the influence of critical race theory and DEI ideology in state schools.
Campus Reform correspondent Alyssa Bianchi attended the event, obtaining exclusive footage and images.
[RELATED: Trans activists protest DeSantis]
Protesters held signs with messages including “EDUCATION IS LIBERATION,” “PROTECT TRANS YOUTH!,” and “Dear Governor DeFascist: Trans rights are NOT up for debate, but your BIGOTRY sure is!!!”
According to Tampa Bay Times, other signs at the protest read “Ron DeSantis, we won’t let you gut our classes” and “Diversity is democracy.”
Bianchi also observed a student exclaim to the crowd that “Ron DeSantis is trying to get us to see our differences as things that keep us apart, but they are the things that keep our society together” and “this is happening all over the state and we’re not shutting up!”
”There are people watching, waiting to see if they can copy what Ron DeSantis is doing to our universities in this state, and there’s a whole other group of people afraid that what is happening here is going to happen in their states, ” the student added.
As speakers finished addressing the crowd, participants in the protest began to march around campus with signs and chants.
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Protests simultaneously occurred at Rollins College, University of Florida, Florida International University, Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Polytechnic University, New College, the University of North Florida, and the University of Central Florida.
The USF students have another protest against DeSantis’ education policies set to take place during the first week of March at New College, according to Tampa Bay Times.
All relevant sources were contacted prior to the publication of this article by Campus Reform. It will be updated accordingly.
