Ohio State University students, alumni and faculty took to the Oval on Tuesday afternoon to voice their opposition to an anti-Diversity Equity and Inclusion bill in the Ohio General Assembly and OSU's compliance with the yet-to-be-passed legislation.
A crowd of hundreds of people gathered in two circles at the statue of former Ohio State President William Oxley Thompson in two wide circles to hear different speakers who opposed Senate Bill 1. The crowd had to split up because the university restricts the use of audio devices like megaphones before certain times of day, making it difficult for the crowd to hear.
University spokesman Ben Johnson confirmed this to WOSU, calling it a longstanding policy. He said classes were in session at the time and the university policy restricts some noises before 5:30 p.m.
People climbed trees, sat at the foot of the statue and meandered around the crowd with signs reading "Save Public Education," "Anti DEI? Ok I'm Anti OSU," "SB1 is BS1," along with other messages.
Senate Bill 1 had its first hearing Tuesday in the Ohio House of Representatives after passing out of the Ohio Senate in early February. The bill has yet to become law, yet Ohio State President Ted Carter closed the university's Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change last week.
Carter said he was taking a proactive approach by complying early. Other universities in Ohio, such as Ohio University in Athens have yet to take similar actions.
The protestors voiced their frustration at Carter, shouting "F*** Ted Carter" multiple times. The many speakers also criticized the university president as well as state and federal Republicans for attacking DEI programs.
OSU Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries, the brother of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not mince words to the crowd. He said students need to fight Carter's actions as well as those of Gov. Mike DeWine and President Donald Trump.
"(Carter is) rolling over before the game even begun. He heard we were playing Michigan and he decided not to show up. That's not what Buckeyes do. All the scared Buckeyes are someplace else. That ain't us," Jeffries said to a roaring crowd.
He followed up on comments he made last week to WOSU's All Sides with Amy Juravich about Carter.
"I was asked my thoughts on our dear president, President Carter, and I said the verdict is still out. I said I'm not sure if he's incompetent. I'm not sure if he's a coward. I'm not sure if he's complicit," Jeffries said. "But I think we know now. It's all three!"
Jeffries called on the crowd to draw strength from each other, because he believes the fight against anti-DEI efforts will last a long couple of years.
Professor Mytheli Sreenivas, the chair of OSU's Department of Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, said collectively university professors have advanced research and teaching, which she says is exactly the mission of the university. She said the legislation puts that mission at risk.
"(Our mission) pushes us, it disrupts things, it requires us to debate and change our ideas when we get new evidence and that is exactly what SB1 seeks to ban in its clause on teaching about controversial topics," Sreenivas said.
Faten Husni Odeh, the executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations in Cleveland also spoke against SB1. Odeh linked the struggle against this bill to other causes such as racial justice and opposition to Israel's War against Hamas in Gaza.
"We are being attacked. Ohio's SB1 isn't just another bill. It's a direct assault on our rights, our voices, and on the freedom of our students to stand up for justice. This bill is designed to silence us," Odeh said.
The demonstration went on until around 4 p.m.
The protests happened the same day that Trump threatened U.S. universities on social media, saying the federal government would defund any college or university "that allows illegal protests."
Tuesday's protest remained civil and calm. Only a few OSU police officers on bicycles were staged near the protest to observe the activities.
