By Members and supporters of the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies Student Association marched down the Central Quad Monday to protest Donald Trump’s latest request for more funding for the Mexican-American border wall.
The group of approximately 15 students shouted, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” among other chants.
“There’s so many things that we could’ve spent this money on instead of building a wall, which we all know it’s not about security. It’s a racist way to keep out people of color and it’s especially heartbreaking,” said social work major Sana Sethi. “While we are protesting the border wall, more than anything we’re standing in solidarity with immigrant students and students who are undocumented.”
The WGSSSA sat on blankets while students and faculty showed up to help make posters and wrote words of encouragement on post it notes for students as they prepared to march.
After stopping at the Go Beach sign to catch their breath and take some photos, the group began marching again, snaking through the University Student Union and past the Liberal Arts buildings to end up back in the quad.
“I joined this club because I wanted to learn a lot more,” said Alyssa Casiano, public relations major. “I also wanted to find people who are interested in what I’m interested in and that fight for social issues I want to fight for as well.”
While the WGSSA is group full of women, they also advocate for furthering the rights of all marginalized groups.
“I want our students regardless of what program they’re in to feel supported, and that someone’s got your back,” said social work professor Christian Molidor. “This issue is so important with the politics destroying people’s lives, literally. We have to stand up and say something. The students need to stand up and say something. The faculty need to stand up and say something and be heard.”
