Protest Day 3: Friday, Feb. 23

11:06 AM

NoNames for Justice leader Harmony Edosomwan, sophomore, addresses the crowd of protesters and admitted students gathered on the fourth floor of the Davis Center. “If you are a person of color, if you so happen to be queer, if you so happen be an identity who is marginalized, then you’re going to have a tough time when you’re here [at UVM],” she said. “The reason that we’re doing this is to pave the way so that when you get here it’s a better place.”

11:07 AM

Director of the Office of Student and Community Relations John Mejia announces they’ll be ending the hunger strike. “I started this hunger strike because I wanted people who are supposedly our leaders to care,” Mejia said. “I wanted them to stop for a second. They haven’t.”

12:28 PM

After marching with protesters back to the Waterman building, Harmony Edosomwan speaks outside of the executive offices. “I don’t want to hurt Tom. I’m not going to go to jail for Tom. I’ve already sacrificed so much because of Tom — I’m not going to go to jail too,” Edosomwan said as the protesters tried to get the executive offices to open their doors.

1:46 PM

President Tom Sullivan speaks to NoNames for Justice protesters. “I feel that same urgency and I sometimes have the same frustrations,” he said. “Why do things take so long in our University community?”

1:48 PM

David Daigle, chair of the UVM Board of Trustees speaks to NoNames for Justice protesters “I’m not part of any movement,” Daigle said. “I will say, all of you are passionate and I think that’s great. But I also ask you on behalf of the entire community to make your advocacy respectful.”

1:51 PM

Gary Derr, vice president for executive operations addresses NoNames for Justice leader Harmony Edosomwan outside the executive offices. “I’m happy to come to the table and work with you along with my colleagues on these issues, and I would be happy to join that if that’s what would help,” he said.

— Photo credits to Alek Fleury and Oliver J. Pomazi —