Over 50 protestors stood outside the Hannah Administration Building on Friday with signs and chants condemning decisions made regarding immigration, aid and the Israel-Hamas war during President Donald Trump’s administration. Organized by the student-led MSU Sunrise Movement, the event called for MSU leaders to address the Green New Deal and "go green."
Frustrated with the actions of the Trump administration and Michigan State University’s response, students gathered outside the Hannah Administration Building on Friday afternoon to voice their concerns.
The protest, organized by Sunrise Movement MSU, aimed to address several issues, including the university’s ties with fossil fuels, calls for divestment from Israel, and broader concerns about federal policies affecting higher education.
The student organization presented a list of demands for MSU, including:
Throughout the protest, students addressed various concerns, including the impact of Trump administration policies on the Department of Education, arrests of college students by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the University of Michigan’s closure of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices — raising concerns about potential implications for MSU.
Olivia Schaefer, a junior in social relations and policy and membership chair for Sunrise Movement MSU, emphasized the dual purpose of the protest: advocating for MSU to adopt the Green New Deal and pushing the university to take a clear stance against harmful federal policies.
"We see the Green New Deal for MSU as a way to protect our campus, our students, and our faculty while creating long-term, sustainable change," Schaefer said. "We also want MSU to take a strong, public stand against the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education and affirm its commitment to protecting students, faculty, and research opportunities."
Schaefer also referenced a report by The State News on 38 MSU research projects included in U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s database of National Science Foundation-funded research, calling on MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz to take a definitive stance in support of academic freedom and student protection.
Since Trump took office, MSU has prepared for policy shifts that could affect the university, implementing measures such as rapid response teams and reaffirming its commitment to DEI initiatives. However, Schaefer argued that MSU must do more than react — it must take preventive action.
"We don’t want a response only after harmful policies are enacted," Schaefer said. "We want proactive prevention to stop harm before it happens."
While MSU provides legal and immigration-related services through ASMSU’s Student Legal Services and the College of Law’s Immigration Law Clinic, Schaefer stressed that these initiatives come from students rather than university leadership.
"ASMSU is a student-led organization," Schaefer said. "It’s students fighting for students, not Kevin Guskiewicz sitting on a board making these decisions."
Protesters held signs reading "Protect our futures" and "Green New Deal now," chanting, "Whose campus? Our campus!"
A key issue raised was MSU’s failure to implement the Campus Energy Transition Plan (ETP), which the Board of Trustees passed in 2012. The plan outlined goals for increasing the use of renewable energy and included a five-year review system until its planned end in 2030. However, it eventually ended, and MSU has distanced itself from the initiative in recent years.
"As students have grown more supportive of the Green New Deal and policies like the Energy Transition Plan, MSU has actually moved further away from these commitments," Schaefer said. "That’s a huge concern for Sunrise, and we want to get the plan back on track."
Political science and pre-law senior Zadok Milner described ICE arrests around the country of students from universities such as Columbia University and Tufts University as "the rapid unmasking of covert fascism into overt fascism."
"We will not allow this to dismantle the lives of our friends, our family, our peers, the people we have a duty to fight for," Milner said. "So, if anything, do not become the apathy you see modeled by our institutions. We are in a battle over what we truly value as a collective and Michigan State has no right to apathy. We make up the body of this university."
Prayag Shankar, a junior studying political theory and constitutional democracy, emphasized that the protest was a demonstration of student power against federal policies harming higher education.
"We know many federal actions negatively impact students, but we have the power within our community and institution to stand up to that pressure and protect ourselves," Shankar said.
Shankar also directly addressed Guskiewicz, urging him to take a stronger stance in support of students.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
"To President Guskiewicz, I’d say your inaction and refusal to stand apart from harmful federal policies is disappointing," Shankar said. "We need to see change."
