“The right of the people to peacefully assemble” has been granted to the citizens of the United States by the First Amendment for 237 years. Protesting and expressing views is an important part of taking action to expose injustice and abuse of power. Student activism is often at the forefront of making effective change, whether to change policies at school or bring awareness to national and global issues. In recent years, the number of students involved in protests and community organizing has only increased and continues to be of significant importance.

Sophomore Iris Luther-Suhr frequently exercises her right to freedom of speech and expression by participating in events and protests meaningful to her. She has attended many protests around the metro in the last few months for different causes. Two of these protests were marches in support of Ukraine in light of recent events on the world stage.

“About three weeks ago, I went to an organized march in support of Ukraine because of all the lies and misinformation surrounding the start of the war and who started it,” Luther-Suhr said.
In the past month or so specifically, large amounts of misinformation have been circulating about the situation in Ukraine, particularly from the perspective of Americans. The United States is starting to take a vastly different approach towards Ukraine this year, and it caused mass outrage with many in the US and around the world.

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STANDING IN SOLIDARITY. Luther-Suhr poses with the Ukrainian flag in her hands and her tucked into her hair. (Photo submitted by Iris Luther-Suhr).

“Later that same week, I went to another protest in support of Ukraine after the disrespect that Zelenskyy was shown,” Luther-Suhr said. The meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States one month ago was disastrous on all accounts and left much uncertainty regarding the future of Ukraine.

“My events for Ukraine tend to be organized by the Stand With Ukraine MN group. Sometimes, they are relatively spontaneous marches, but there’s a good turnout. We march for a little bit, cross a bridge over the river, and pause for a little bit. […] It’s always super cold, so I have to bundle up. I wrap a Ukrainian flag around me and pin it with a pin. Sometimes, I’ll put a small flag in my hair,” Luther-Suhr said.

She also attended a protest that called for the Trump administration and federal government to base more of their decisions in scientific thought called “Stand Up for Science.” This protest took place at the Minnesota State Capitol building, with hundreds of participants. Their main area of focus and protest was based on the Trump administration’s budget cuts of research departments such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which could jeopardize American lives. “There were state politicians, doctors and former government workers. We talked about the benefits of science and what DOGE is doing to defund science,” Luther-Suhr said.

Usually, for Luther-Suhr, attending these protests is a family affair. “I always go to these marches and events with my mother, and sometimes we bring family and friends. My favorite memory is when I went to the Stand Up for Science event, just seeing all the clever signs that people had. People would introduce themselves and exchange compliments on signs. I remember making eye contact with people who I’ve never met, pointing to their signs and smiling. They would gesture for me to show them mine and we both smiled,” Luther-Suhr said.

Reading about setbacks and injustices at the local, national and international level can be demoralizing. Luther-Suhr finds protests to be an outlet to channel that frustration: “I’m not sure of how much of a difference these protests make in terms of affecting the decisions of our leaders, but I know these protests boost morale and have a positive impact on people’s mentality. These protests bring communities together for a moment of unity. […] Sometimes when I am not expecting significant results, I tell myself that I am protesting to tell my kids one day that I did not just sit around doing nothing during an important time in US history,” Luther-Suhr said.

Younger people, especially, are more likely to speak out about climate change, social injustice and human rights because of heightened awareness of these issues through technology. “My mother and I always protest together. She finds [them] on social media and we decide to go. We will often hear about them on national news [too],” Luther-Suhr said.

Luther-Suhr is an excellent example of how students can use their right to protest. “There’s something reassuring about going out and seeing others who share your beliefs. It’s empowering to be part of a crowd.”