George Washington University (GWU) students held a bipartisan protest Tuesday, urging the Washington D.C. institution to divest its endowment from companies that are complicit in China’s human rights abuses.
The demonstration, which involved both of the university’s College Republicans and College Democrats chapters, comes one week after university President Mark S. Wrighton rescinded his criticism of on-campus artwork that critiqued China’s abuses against its Uyghur population.
“We’ve all banded together,” activist and GWU alum Juan Carlos Mora told Campus Reform during the protest.
Mora also said that Tuesday’s event, organized by the GW Uyghur Divestment Committee, was in direct response to Wrighton’s critique.
The committee is not officially registered with the university, which Mora explained is intentional to maximize the group’s efficiency and effective collaboration.
Mora also stated that individuals from the university law school are also involved in addition to the undergraduate student organizations.