The Stand Up For Science protest took place at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza on Friday 7th March, with hundreds rallying before marching through campus. Part of a nationwide movement, the protest aimed to prevent political censorship in science, reinstate terminated federal employees, and restore research funding and DEI initiatives.

Ted Miguel joined the protest, standing in solidarity together with other students and faculty members from UC Berkeley. Speaking to The Daily Californian, Ted remarked, “First of all, we want to inform people. There have been such radical changes: firing government scientists, cutting government research grants — it’s been really devastating for scientific research and threatens the fact that our universities and scientific institutions are the best in the world.”

Other UC Berkeley speakers included Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, Bryan Méndez and Rena Dorph who warned that funding cuts threaten their work and science education programs.

Co-sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the protest featured chants like “save democracy, protect science.” Protesters argued that Trump’s policies undermine progress and economic growth, contradicting his promises of a “golden age of America.”