More than 500 people gathered for the “Stand Up For Science” protest in front of the NJ General Assembly Building in Trenton on Friday, Mar. 7.
University professors, lab workers, and activists led the crowd with speeches and chants opposing governmental threats to science and scientific research.
The protest in front of the statehouse was part of an organized network of dozens of “Stand Up For Science” rallies nationwide, including in the nation’s capital.
Bundled up against the cold temperatures and high winds, protesters chanted, “What do nerds do?” to which the crowd responded “Stick together!” as others passed out boxes of Nerds candy. One of which was lead organizer of the event, Annika Barber.
Barber said, “I started freaking out, really, in January when there was the first freeze on NIH communications and I thought, okay, let me make a plan to figure out how to go to Washington,” however after some thought, she instead decided to stay and join the fight from NJ.
She says, “What we really need to do is be pressing our state and local legislators to be supporting science where we are.”
The NJ state legislature was inside, debating on the next state budget while house representatives were in their home districts.
Organizers took turns addressing the crowd through a megaphone, leading chants such as “3 point 1, 4, fund science not war!” reflecting the Mar. 14 deadline for Congress’s vote on the budget resolution for the next fiscal year.
Carol Lee Caffrey, Professor of Biology at Rider University, said, “I’m pissed off. I’m dismayed, disgusted and depressed about what’s happening.”
She continued, “Personally, I know people who have lost their positions and funding has been pulled away from long-term science projects.”
Participants throughout the crowd held colorful signs featuring slogans like “Girls just wanna have fun-ding for scientific research” and “Stopping bucks stops breakthroughs.”
Protester Doug Meckel, former MCCC Student Government Association President, said, “I’m really upset at what’s happening to all these young scientists early in their career that may have given up more money working elsewhere– and now we’re making them the enemy.”
Every so often the sound of cowbells clanging along in agreement rang through the air.
When Sunita Kramer, Dean of Science at TCNJ, got onto the megaphone, she said, “Every major breakthrough, whether in medicine, clean energy, or artificial intelligence, begins with students who are given the chance to explore, to question, and to experiment.”
She continued, “Our world needs these problem solvers now more than ever.”
Concerned about recent strikes on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, Maureen Barr, Professor of Genetics at Rutgers, said, “Training grants are aimed to increase diversity in science, because the more diverse thoughts and diverse experiences you have in your lab, the richer the academic environment.”
A few feet away, two friends huddled over a phone were refreshing their news feeds for updates.
Among them, Marianna Magiana, third-year TCNJ Chemistry Major, currently applying for research positions in Biochemistry, said, “A lot of them have been getting funding from the NSF and it’s a little scary, especially when it’s something we’ve been working towards our whole college career.”
Looking ahead, Eric Putney, a representative of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT union, said, “We have a lot of friends in the New Jersey State Assembly and several members of the union will be testifying before the education and budget committees over the coming week.”
Olivia Muchowski, chant leader and organizer for NJ 50501, a chapter within the national Anti-Project 2025 organization, summed up the sentiment of the crowd, calling on Congressional Democrats.
Muchowski said, “Do something, get off your ass and do something.”
