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Last week, thousands of federal workers, researchers, and allies participated in the Stand Up for Science event in Washington, D.C., in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The Friday, March 7 date was a studied choice, with organizers hoping to make an impression on the U.S. Senate which was in session a few blocks away. The goal? To protest the large-scale layoffs and budget cuts suffered by science-led agencies due to decisions by the Trump administration.
Nearly 30 Stand Up for Science protests happened throughout the country on the same day. The movement also had supporters outside the U.S. who protested in their respective countries on the same day, bringing the grand total of demonstrations to 150 worldwide.
The protest comes amid numerous severe cuts to research funding and mass layoffs at government agencies, all of which occurred under the Trump administration. The scale of this collective action is typically considered rare for the majority of the scientific community, and reflects an overwhelming response to the current state of the nation’s politics.
A similar event in recent history was the 2017 March for Science, which occurred during the first Trump administration and for similar reasons. Stand Up for Science organizers reached out to their predecessors for advice on how to carry out their demonstration.
On March 7 at the Lincoln Memorial, protestors rallied together under the banner of seeking an end to government censorship in scientific research, reinstating laid-off federal employees, and restoring federal funding to science and research-focused agencies. The demonstrators also reaffirmed their desire to preserve diversity and inclusion in science.
Over a dozen speakers were present, such as household names like Bill Nye, as well as former and current members of Congress from both Democratic and Republican parties. Bill Foster, Democratic Representative for Illinois and the only physicist in Congress, said in his speech, “Why do [scientists] take the truth so seriously? I think it’s because we operate on the edge of what is known. And so we cannot tolerate the additional uncertainty of whether the person presenting the data is actually lying.”
Former National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins was also present at the Stand Up for Science protest. Addressing the public for the first time since his departure from the NIH, Collins called out the Trump administration’s anti-science agenda: “While moving fast and breaking things might be an appropriate mantra for Silicon Valley, a better mantra for the decisions that potentially disrupt an institution with a stunningly positive track record that affects the future health of the nation, let’s go with ‘first do no harm.’”
The Stand Up for Science event serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight to protect research and evidence-based policies, but also of the scientific community’s resilience and sense of purpose: to “first do no harm” and help others above all else.
To learn more about the movement, visit the Stand Up for Science website.
On March 7, 2025, thousands of people participated in the Stand Up for Science event across the U.S. and around the world.
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In Washington, D.C., protesters gathered around the Lincoln Memorial to speak out against the anti-science agenda of the Trump administration.
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Speakers consisted of big names like Bill Nye, and featured former and current members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
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150 Stand Up for Science demonstrations occurred on March 7 nationally and internationally, underscoring the global importance of protecting science, research, and free speech.
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Source: Thousands gather across U.S. and world in Stand Up for Science events
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