Harvard students and faculty push back against Trump settlement after court victory

Three days after a federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s decision to cancel more than $2.7 billion in federal research funding, roughly 80 Harvard students, faculty, and supporters gathered on campus, umbrellas in hand, voices raised, to celebrate the court victory and to send a clear message: Harvard should not settle.

The demonstration, organized by the unrecognized student group Harvard Students for Freedom, was the first since students returned for the fall semester. It drew a smaller crowd than the more than 300 who attended the group’s May rally following the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation of Harvard’s authorization to host international students.

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“No settlement, no surrender”

The rally’s chants cut through the crisp fall air: “Donald Trump, you cannot meddle; Harvard, we will never settle,” Harvard Crimson reported. Speakers urged administrators not to follow the lead of peer institutions like Brown and Columbia, which struck deals with the White House over the summer to restore federal funding.

Kirsten A. Weld, History professor and president of Harvard’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, addressed the crowd with a pointed message: the court victory proves “not to capitulate, but to fight” is the best path forward.

“If the government wants to vacate Judge Burroughs’ ruling, it has to defeat that ruling on appeal before another set of judges,” Weld told the crowd, according to Harvard Crimson. “It cannot simply bully Harvard into dropping its litigation. Even if the University abandons its own lawsuit, the judicial order blocking the government’s illegal actions will remain in effect.”

Students take a hard line

While Harvard and the White House have been in talks since June, discussions over a potential $500 million out-of-court settlement reportedly stalled in recent days. Students voiced fierce opposition to any deal.

“Yes, Harvard will suffer, faculty will suffer, and international students like myself will suffer, but I did not cross an ocean to watch Harvard kneel to Trump,” said Alfred F.B. Williamson ’28, an international student from Wales, as reported by Harvard Crimson. “I’d rather be forced out of this country than to see Harvard make a deal with this administration.”

Abdullah Shahid Sial ’27, co-president of the Harvard Undergraduate Association, added, “Any form of deal legitimizes exactly the same undemocratic demands which Harvard so proudly stood against. Especially when we are winning in courts, we can’t have an institution kiss the ring, not now and absolutely not in the future.”

Protecting Harvard’s diversity

The protest was not only about federal funding. Speakers criticized Harvard’s recent changes to diversity programming, which they see as concessions to the administration. In July, the College announced the closure of three diversity offices — the Women’s Center, Office for BGLTQ Student Life, and the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, consolidating staff under the new Office of Culture and Community.

Eli Johnson-Visio ’26, co-president of the Harvard Queer Students Association, expressed concern over what this means for student support: “We’re not just fighting against the loss of offices, programs, resources, or classes. We’re fighting for the preservation of the campus we were all promised when we came here — a campus where every student, no matter their background or identity, retains the resources to thrive,” Harvard Crimson reported.

Olivia F. Data ’26, a former intern at the Women’s Center, spoke under the pouring rain, reminding attendees of what is at stake: “I struggle to find anything divisive in being one of the only spaces on campus to offer free and color printing to students, or in giving funding to student groups, or allowing students of all identities to attend our campus spaces, or in creating a space where students who might be used to feeling alone can join together and know that they are supported and believed in,” according to Harvard Crimson.

A campus at a crossroads

As clouds rolled over Harvard Square and rain soaked the protestors, one thing was clear: this was not just a rally against a potential settlement, it was a fight for the identity of Harvard itself. Students and faculty are demanding that the University stand firm, preserve its independence, and protect the diversity and support systems that define its campus culture.

The message resonated loudly: in the wake of a legal victory, Harvard must decide whether to safeguard its principles or bow to political pressure. For now, the voices of students and professors echo across Harvard Square, a reminder that the future of the University is still very much in their hands.
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