On Jan. 25, Cleveland community members and student activists took to the streets of Ohio City to express solidarity against the Trump administration. The march, originally scheduled for Jan. 20 and postponed due to inclement weather, was organized by the Cleveland Fights Back Network, a coalition of local affiliates of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Over the past few weeks, similar marches have occurred in cities across the U.S. These marches have been advertised as a way for attendees to stand up for climate justice and equal rights for women, workers, immigrants and the LGBTQIA+ community. 

PSL organizer Dallas Eckman began the demonstration with a few words, highlighting the importance of uniting the working class and organizing against the Trump administration. “It should be all your brothers and sisters, all of your coworkers, all of your friends, all of your fellow students, out here shoulder to shoulder fighting, no matter the temperature,” he said. “It starts with you bringing people to these streets, with building relationships at your jobs, building relationships in your communities. And, in order to do that, we must get organized together.”

After speeches from representatives of the Palestinian Youth Movement, New Era Cleveland and other local organizations, the march began. Over 100 attendees carrying banners and signs expressing disapproval with the state of U.S. politics marched up Cleveland’s West 25th Street and around the Ohio City neighborhood. As the demonstration progressed, the attendees participated in chants written by local organizers and sang songs from the Civil Rights Movement. The march ended in Ohio City’s Market Square with a few more speeches from local organizers and a performance by the band Flipcoin.

Zoë Wagner, a nursing student at Case Western Reserve University, spoke at the march. During her speech, Wagner highlighted her frustration with the U.S. government, echoing Dallas’ desire for unity and the well-being of regular people rather than the prioritization of money and power. “If there’s one message I want people to take away, it’s that all of our struggles are interconnected,” she said. “I’d love to see stronger collaboration among student organizations advocating for important causes, especially as many of these causes are under threat with the incoming administration.” 

In her speech, Wagner mentioned her belief that CWRU’s administration disregarded the Undergraduate Student Government’s Resolution 31-15 and other student-led calls to “fully divest [CWRU] assets from Israeli apartheid, the international military-industrial complex and the international prison-industrial complex.” She said that the administration has contributed to a climate of suppression by criminalizing dissent. “I want to help create a campus environment where freedom of speech and protest are not just tolerated but protected,” Wagner said.

There were dozens of CWRU students present at this demonstration. One student attendee, who requested to remain anonymous, expressed her desire for the protection of marginalized populations such as undocumented immigrants and refugees. She also emphasized the importance of student involvement in on- and off-campus activism. She said, “I feel like CWRU is so secluded, like it’s a bubble, and having students come out and get involved helps them see a broader community and helps them see what’s around them and not just university or college.”