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The Democratize Yale teach-in was fantastic, with 250 students, alumni, & faculty rallying to protest Yale President McInnis's attempts to cut a "deal" with Trump. Huge congrats to the student organizers, @aaupyale.org, and the Stand Up for Yale alumni group - and Sam Waterston! 🧵 of photos for ya!

Yale Student Body President Alex Chen is a hell of an organizer. Last school year, he was part of the Yale College Council's push to fund support for summer storage for low-income students after Dean Pericles Lewis told students they should "acquire less." yaledailynews.com/articles/ycc...

Professor Daniel Martinez HoSang, @aaupyale.org president, speaks at the teach-in about the Yale admin not meeting with faculty while restricting freedom of speech. '“You can’t be lecturing us about democracy and refuse to even take meetings with faculty,” HoSang said.' ctmirror.org/2026/09/01/y...

While the Democratize Yale teach-in was describing Yale's new rules against free speech on Cross Campus, Yale Dean Pericles Lewis and Professor Beverly Gage were lecturing first year students at a required event called "The University and Democracy." Whew. yaledailynews.com/articles/fir...

Meanwhile, students and alumni handed out "Welcome to Yale / A University Without Democracy" zines outside of Woolsey Hall to make sure students going to hear Dean Lewis's presentation on "The University and Democracy" learned about the other side.

Go to democratizeyale.org to see how the Yale admin is failing by pursuing a "deal" with Trump and by curbing freedom of speech, refusing to codify academic freedom, and continuing decades of undemocratic governance.

Yale alum and National Book Award winner Susan Choi spoke about a professor leading a reading of SATANIC VERSES when she was an undergrad - and how that idealized version of a Yale community that was brave enough to SPEAK UP stayed with her - and is currently being betrayed by the current admin.

My old classmate and current Yale Drama School professor Katherine Profeta! Doing class of 1990 proud. Hugely impressed with current professors and staff who are speaking up.

Sam Waterston was thrilled to be there - clapping for all the speakers.

Sam Waterston working on his remarks at the side of the rally. ❤️

The great @gregggonsalves.bsky.social speaks at the democratizeyale.org rally!