JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — College students across Florida walked out of classrooms Thursday in protest of Governor Ron DeSantis’ bid to remove diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives from Florida universities.
It included students at the University of North Florida, right here in Jacksonville. They took to campus to chant “stand up, fight back.”
Many are angry, saying they feel like public education is under attack, but they’re not just mad at DeSantis. They want to hear support from UNF administration, too.
Senior student at UNF Alivia Kalin helped lead the walkout.
“Knowledge is important to learn about things that you yourself didn’t go through,” Kalin said. “To learn about what happened to all these communities that you aren’t a part of. It educates you. It makes you understand all of these oppressed groups, all of these diverse communities.”
The demonstration comes after news broke this week that UNF complied with a request from DeSantis to provide information about transgender students who sought care at the university related to their gender identity.
Students saying they want to know why President Moez Limayem isn’t standing up for students.
“Limayem has been very silent. Too silent,” one student said, “and it doesn’t take that long to draft up a statement, especially about something that matters. Something that affects our future. That affects the futures of those who work here.”
Cameron Driggers set up a table to help students register to vote in upcoming elections at the walkout.
“It’s just as important that we get registered to vote and that is just as important as being out and protesting and making your voice heard,” Driggers said.
Kalin said by complying with DeSantis, UNF will erase history and remove safe spaces for students.
“He [Limayem] needs to protect us and protect our programs because if he represents us and cares about us as students, then he should protect us and he should defend us,” Kalin said.
The students were able to have a town hall Q&A with Limayem after the walkout.
First Coast News reached out to Governor DeSantis office and UNF to see if the school administration has anything to say about the walkout, but we haven’t heard back from either yet.