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Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UT students hold May Day protest to rally for workers, immigrants, Palestinian liberation
Joining nationwide protests Thursday against the Trump administration, a few dozen University of Texas students gathered below the iconic UT Tower to rally in support of migrant rights and free speech. May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is celebrated May 1 as a day of protest linked to a history spanning more than a century of labor organizing. At this year's gathering of about 40 to 50 people at UT, organizers said a climate of fear around pro-Palestinian and anti-Trump speech has chilled expressive activity on college campuses ― but it has also revealed the need for continued advocacy. In addition to immigrant and workers' rights, protesters also chanted for a free Palestine and for LGBTQ+ rights, and against racism, arguing that all those causes are "interconnected." "It's even more important to stand together," said Javier Perez, a first-year UT student in biomedical engineering and a member of the Students for a Democratic Society. "These are not abstract political developments. They are here on our campuses." In April, at least 260 international students in Texas, including 176 at UT System institutions, had been affected by the Trump administration's changes to their legal statuses, some losing their visas for violations such as parking tickets or for no reason. More than 100 lawsuits were filed about the visa terminations nationwide, including in North Texas. In a sudden reversal April 25, the Justice Department restored visas for thousands of students across the country who had minor or dismissed legal infractions. UT confirmed to the American-Statesman that "multiple" visas had been restored at its campus. UT System spokesperson Randa Safady said in an email Friday that "some universities recently learned about the reinstatement of the status of some international students whose visas were previously revoked." But in newly released court documents, the Trump administration unveiled plans for a new policy and system to terminate the legal residency of international students "as needed," Inside Higher Ed reported. The policy is not yet final, but it could signal more visa revocations ahead. "We do not have any additional information on how many students were affected or whose visa status was reinstated," Safady, the UT System spokesperson, said in an email Friday. Protesters on Thursday repeated calls for the university to offer more public support to international students. At a UT Faculty Council meeting last week, a representative from Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement Sonia Feigenbaum said Texas Global has been in touch with students individually by connecting them to resources and information. It is not sharing specific information about how many students have been affected, and the university declined to comment further. "We have been working very closely with a variety of offices and units across the university to make sure that we support all international students and scholars with concerns," Feigenbaum told faculty April 21. "One of the things that's really important is for us to keep the privacy of every single one of these students. ... We are not here to talk about numbers, because we want to make sure that what really ensues is our support of each individual." Tim, an international student at UT from Taiwan who declined to share his last name for fear of retaliation, said he and other international students are fearful of speaking out because of the Trump administration, but he showed up to the protest because he believes in the importance of the Palestinian liberation movement and protections for international workers. "America is a country of free speech, and that's an important reason I chose UT," Tim said. "We are not only immigrants. We are workers. We are teaching assistants." The local chapter of the Texas State Employees Union released a statement condemning the targeting of international students by the federal government, and union representatives spoke at the rally in support of international students' rights. "The attacks on students, institutions, and academic freedom have not only silenced university administrators at a critical time, but members of the university community under threat have been given insufficient support and guidance," the union's statement said. "TSEU is calling on public higher education (institutions) to provide accurate information about visa revocations; provide useful support to students, staff, and faculty that could be affected; and to protect university community members from these attacks" Just down the road earlier that day, thousands of protesters gathered at the Capitol to demonstrate against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, and they marched to Austin City Hall in the early evening. In an interview, Perez, the first-year UT student, said that Students for a Democratic Society has been working to organize the campus around progressive causes regardless of how speech is being chilled. He said UT should follow Harvard's lead in standing up for students, but he understands the university's constraints due to its reliance on public funds. "But above all else, we should stand up for students' rights," he said. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT students hold May Day protest for workers, immigrants, Palestinians
Korea Herald
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Village People to perform in Korea for the first time
Iconic disco group to perform in Seoul, Daegu and Busan The legendary disco group Village People, known for their 1970s hits 'YMCA' and 'Go West,' is set to hold its first-ever concerts in South Korea this October. Although the group previously visited Korea as a special guest at the 1983 MBC International Song Festival, this marks the group's first independent performance in the country. Formed in New York, Village People debuted in 1977 in the UK with the single 'San Francisco' before gaining massive popularity in the US the following year. Riding the disco wave of the late 1970s, the group released a string of global hits including 'YMCA,' 'Go West,' 'Macho Man,' 'San Francisco,' and 'Can't Stop the Music.' True to its name, Village People is known for its members' distinctive characters, each representing a different member of a community. The lineup for the upcoming Korean tour includes original member Victor Willis, who performs as the police officer and admiral, along with Javier Perez as the Native American character, James Kwong as the construction worker, Nicholas Manelick as the cowboy, James Lee as the soldier and Jeffrey James Lippold as the leatherman. The group will be joined by a live band, bringing the total number of performers on stage to 11. Concert organizer Shangri-La Entertainment announced that the concerts will take place in Seoul, Daegu and Busan, with the venues and ticketing details to be revealed later.
