TJ Diniz Mota, Leeds Socialist Students
Socialist Students set up a campaign stall outside Notre Dame Sixth Form College in Leeds on 3 June, as part of our national effort to build for youth walkouts against Trump’s upcoming second state visit to the UK.
The level of engagement we had was a real indication of the potential for mass action. Staff at the college voiced strong support, sharing our anger that someone like Trump, whose record is soaked in racism, sexism and pro-billionaire policies, has been invited for a second state visit. Several were relieved that someone was taking a stand, however modest, and thanked us for doing something about it.
Students were just as fired up. We met people who were interested in joining, collected signatures for the walkout, and had some really sharp conversations. One student told us he felt disillusioned by the political options on offer and agreed on the need for a new mass party rooted in the working class. Another said it was “shameful” that Trump, and not any other US president, had been given a second state visit. Both expressed a desire to stay involved and have agreed to attend upcoming meetings. There is a feeling of political homelessness amongst the youth.
Encouragingly, our materials even reached staff at the university. One younger staff member reached out after seeing a poster and is keen to help build the walkout campaign with us.
What this shows is that there is potential for resistance to Trump and everything he represents – but it needs to be organised. Anger is not in short supply, what’s needed is a strategy and structure for turning that into collective action. That’s what Socialist Students is trying to provide, and this stall was another step in that direction.
We are coordinating this walkout not just in protest, but to offer international solidarity. Socialism is the only system capable of replacing division with unity, exploitation with cooperation, and repression with liberation.
Next steps are being discussed in Leeds – whether it’s public meetings, joint campus stalls, or further action. We’re calling on all Socialist Students groups and anti-Trump youth to do the same: set up stalls, talk to students, build links with staff, and fight to make this walkout campaign as big and visible as possible. Attacks on the working class in one nation equate to an attack on the working class everywhere.
Building a walkout against Trump at my college
Thomas, Doncaster Socialist Students
I have been organising at my college for a walkout and protest when Donald Trump visits, most likely in September. When handing out Socialist Students leaflets, a lot of students were very interested in hearing more, and all but three of them took a leaflet. Over the span of an afternoon and a morning I handed out over 70 leaflets and am proud to say 13 people have signed up by visiting the Socialist Students website and also wanting to hear more from Socialist Students.
When guillotining some new leaflets a member of staff asked me what the leaflet was about. I went to my tutor to ask for permission, he said that I probably wouldn’t be able to hand out literature within college premises. After my lesson my tutor took me to the principal to talk about this. I received no disciplinary action but rather ‘rules’, such as not handing leaflets out within the college premises but places like outside the Co-op were okay. She was very friendly about it and did say she was “not trying to squash anything”.
I’m very happy with the response from students and over the next couple of weeks will be in the process of setting up a meeting and creating a community of like-minded individuals to campaign further.
How can you protest Trump’s visit?
Organise a meeting at your school, college or uni
- Discuss with your friends and classmates – invite them to a meeting, it could be in a classroom, cafeteria or even a local cafe
- Make a social media graphic to share, posters to put up, and leaflets to distribute to get people along
Organise a protest on Day X
- Once we know the date of Trump’s visit to parliament, put out a time and place for the protest
- Bring a megaphone and banners, make up some chants, and invite some speakers to explain why they are protesting
Join Socialist Students
- Be part of an organisation fighting for socialist change at schools, colleges and unis all over the country
- Visit socialiststudents.org.uk/join or call 020 8988 8761 or text your name and school, college or uni to 07515 921699
