A group of around 10 Clemson University students gathered at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5 to march in protest of the recent federal legislation and executive orders from the Trump administration.
In an interview with The Tiger, Olivia Spencer, a civil engineering major, explained that the group believes the legislation and orders “are directly impeding on students’ abilities to research and learn at the University level.”
Numerous members of the group are involved in Clemson’s college radio station, WSBF-FM, but the group organizing the protest itself is not a student organization recognized by the University. They began marching from Tillman Hall around the University’s campus and ended the march across the street from President Jim Clements’ house.
The group held signs with phrases such as, “Trans rights are human rights,” “We’re not going anywhere,” “DEI GOOD” and “My grandparents didn’t flee to America for me to face Nazis.”
They also exclaimed statements of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” “Read books don’t burn,” “No one’s illegal on stolen land,” “Get this morally corrupt a–hole off his throne” and more.
Clemson University Police Department officers walked alongside the group and had police vehicles stationed at various places around campus to ensure safety.
Spencer noted that the group wanted to urge University leaders to “advocate” for students, especially during this time, because “this administration will have such a drastic shift during our time in college.”
However, the group also understands that the University is not explicitly causing these changes and that this is a “top-down approach,” meaning that the University has little control over legislation that comes from the executive office.
Spencer noted that considering the University is a “Research 1” and land-grant institution, “having funds removed from critical research diminishes the overall objectives of our institution which is to serve the state and the nation with our research and resources.”
Additionally, the group emphasized the Trump administration’s attempts to remove both federal student aid and diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities.
Although federal student aid has been temporarily restored, many students are still “nervous” about the future of funding their college educations, according to Spencer. The group fully supports DEI programs as a “firm foundation” at Clemson and other land-grant universities to maintain student engagement and effectively serve communities “that they are designed to impact.”
Clemson College Republicans responded to the protest in an interview with The Tiger, stating that they are “happy” that smaller student organizations are expressing their First Amendment right to freedom of speech but that the “Clemson attempt at a 50501 protest was entirely unsuccessful,” Jane Kihne, a representative of the group, stated.
The “50501 protest” that Kihne refers to stands for the phrase “50 protests, 50 states, one day,” which is known as a collective movement across the United States on Feb. 5, 2025 against the Trump administration and Project 2025, according to The Hilltop.
“Very few of our members even caught a glimpse of the protestors and the greater student body was unaware of the protest as a whole. I’m sure those walking in the protest were able to feel some gratification; like they were ‘doing something’ or ‘fighting the man’. But at the end of the day, if you’re going to conduct a protest with signs and chants, we recommend that it be visible,” Kihne continued.
Spencer believes that the turnout for the protest was “good” but that the group is planning a larger march for the near future. The message that the group was hoping to achieve was that students reach a better understanding of the actions taken by the new administration.
Students who aren’t involved in politics or research might not completely understand the situation, but the group hopes to cause “even a few” students to think about Trump’s administration in “a different light.”
“We are passionate and dedicated individuals who are hoping to create cycles of change and empowerment on our campus. This comes with more marches, outreach, and education,” Spencer told The Tiger.
