The Power of Student Protests in the Fight for Democracy: Why Trump and Authoritarians Worldwide Fear Campus Activism

Trump's Threat to Universities and the Global History of Student-Led Democratic Change

Mar 08, 2025

Donald Trump's recent threat to defund universities that permit student protests and to imprison 'agitators' reveals a deep-seated fear common to authoritarian leaders: the power of student protests. Throughout modern history, student-led pro-democracy movements have repeatedly proven to be catalysts for toppling authoritarian regimes. Authoritarians fear campus activism precisely because it works. From the 1989 Prague gathering that sparked the Velvet Revolution and helped bring down the Iron Curtain, to the 1998 Indonesian student movement that ended a 32-year dictatorship, history is replete with examples. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a global, historical pattern.

This pattern is starkly illustrated in the accompanying visualization: a timeline of student-led pro-democracy movements from 1955 to 2025. Each point on the timeline represents a significant student protest, with color-coding to indicate its outcome: green for successful democratic transitions, teal for long-term impact, yellow for partial gains, and red for movements that faced violent crackdowns with little to no immediate gains.

Looking at this timeline, several key insights emerge. First, the frequency of these movements is striking. There are very few periods where student activism wasn't a major force for democratic change somewhere in the world. Second, we see clear clusters around specific periods: the late 1960s, the late 1980s/early 1990s (coinciding with the fall of the Soviet bloc), and the period of the Arab Spring. This suggests a "contagion effect," where successful movements in one country inspire activism in others, demonstrating the interconnectedness of global struggles for democracy. Finally, while many movements achieved significant gains (represented by the green, teal, and yellow circles), the presence of numerous red circles serves as a somber reminder of the risks and challenges these student activists face.

The Ubiquity of Student Protests in Pro-Democracy Movements

Authoritarian governments that move to silence campus activism aren't protecting institutions—they're attempting to extinguish the earliest warning signs of democratic resistance. In country after country, student protests have been the match that lit much larger movements for freedom and democracy. Student protests have been a constant fixture of pro-democracy movements worldwide. The list of 37 examples of student-led pro-democracy protest movements over the past 70 years, compiled below, demonstrates this powerfully.

Campus activism is so often at the forefront of pro-democracy movements that it's almost taken for granted. Student activism has played a pivotal role in democratic transitions across the globe, from Eastern Europe to Latin America, from Africa to Southeast Asia. Even when facing overwhelming force, students have consistently responded with creativity and moral courage. Their nonviolent resistance exposes the brutality of those who claim to be protecting "order" while violently suppressing democratic voices. These disproportionate crackdowns reveal the depth of their fear. What threatens them isn't "disorder"—it's the possibility that students will inspire others to demand accountability and democratic rights. This makes their courage the student’s superpower.

Even in pro-democracy movements not primarily led by students, universities almost invariably play a role. Poland's worker-led Solidarity movement involved crucial student support. The ANC's fight against apartheid included university activism alongside labor unions and churches. Gandhi's independence movement saw student strikes at pivotal moments. This near-universal presence explains why authoritarian regimes so often target universities first—they recognize campus networks as crucial nodes in the infrastructure of resistance.

What Sparks Student Protests

Student movements rarely emerge in a vacuum. They're typically triggered by specific events that crystallize broader societal grievances: the murder of a fellow student (South Korea 1987), rigged elections (Serbia 2000), a government crackdown on free expression (Iran 1999), the imposition of discriminatory education policies (South Africa 1976), or a sudden denial of political rights (Czechoslovakia 1989). Universities, as centers of learning and debate, often foster a heightened awareness of social and political issues. Students, often experiencing newfound independence and surrounded by peers with diverse perspectives, are particularly receptive to calls for change.

Seemingly minor incidents— censorship of a student newspaper, the arrest of a campus activist, or a police (or ICE) raid on campus—can quickly become flashpoints that catalyze years of pent-up frustration into powerful movements. What makes these protests particularly threatening to authoritarian regimes is how rapidly they can spread beyond campus borders, transforming specific student grievances into broader calls for systemic change that resonate with the general population.

The Role of Faculty

When democratic backsliding occurs, universities often become early battlegrounds, and the response of faculty can prove decisive. Faculty support has often been the critical factor that amplified student movements and helped them achieve lasting impact. When professors ally with student activists, they transform isolated campus protests into broader democratic movements with institutional backing and intellectual legitimacy.

During China's Tiananmen Square protests, professors not only marched alongside students but helped articulate their democratic vision to the wider public and international community. In Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, faculty members turned the momentum of initial student demonstrations into structured political opposition by helping establish Civic Forum. South Korean professors created publications and forums that connected student activism to broader democratic principles, effectively translating student energy into lasting political change. Through "flying universities" in Poland and underground seminars in Chile, faculty preserved democratic thought during periods of intense repression. In South Africa, academic mentorship helped student activists develop strategies that eventually contributed to dismantling apartheid. Time and again, when professors chose to amplify student voices rather than silence them, they helped transform momentary protests into enduring democratic transitions. Faculty risk their careers, and sometimes their safety, by supporting these movements, highlighting the profound importance of their commitment.

Faculty possess unique capacities that can legitimize and strengthen student movements: institutional authority that can shield activists, scholarly expertise that can contextualize grievances, international networks that can draw global attention, and pedagogical skills that can help students articulate their vision and demands effectively. When these capacities are deployed in support of student activism, universities fulfill their highest purpose – not just teaching about democracy, but practicing it.

What U.S. Faculty Can Do to Prepare

When authoritarian regimes move to silence student voices, professors face a profound choice: retreat into the illusory safety of "neutrality" or stand firmly in defense of academic freedom and student rights. If we find ourselves facing similar tests in the US, our decisions will matter immensely. Supporting student activism—whether through providing institutional protection, bearing witness to abuses, refusing to participate in repression, or simply maintaining spaces for critical thought—may become the most important civic act of our careers. Though I hope such moments of decision never arrive, the historical record makes clear what is at stake and what might be required of us. We must be prepared to act if the time comes.

For my part, I've been reading up on non-violent campus activism for lessons from the past. Creative tactics consistently disarm authoritarian responses—from Otpor's humorous street theater in Serbia to Chile's choreographed "kiss-ins." Strategic framing of clearly articulated demands that resonate beyond campus, as seen in Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, proves more effective than reactive grievances. Coalition building across universities and forming alliances with labor unions, religious institutions, and local communities provided crucial protection in South Korea and the Philippines. Systematic documentation prevents government denial; Taiwan's Wild Lily protesters' meticulous record-keeping prevented revisionism. Perhaps most importantly, successful movements sometimes require preparing for prolonged resistance rather than quick victories, building sustainable structures that could weather cycles of reactionary pressure.

I can attest that working alongside students in democratic engagement can be among the most rewarding aspects of academic life. Through collaborating with students to establish Democracy Day at Stanford University and working as part of the Stanford Democracy Hub, I've witnessed firsthand how students' idealism, energy, and fresh perspectives reinvigorate democratic principles in ways that scholarly work alone cannot. These partnerships create meaningful civic education that extends far beyond the classroom, benefiting not just the students, but also enriching our own understanding of democratic practice.

Beyond what faculty can do, everyone can play a role in supporting student activism and defending democratic values. This includes staying informed about threats to academic freedom, supporting organizations that defend these rights, engaging in respectful dialogue about social and political issues, and contacting your elected officials to advocate for policies that protect free speech and the right to protest.

Student Protests: A Constant Challenge to Autocracy

Student movements continue to emerge wherever freedom is threatened. Despite sophisticated surveillance and harsher penalties, each new generation finds ways to demand rights and accountability from those in power. When a leader threatens to imprison student protesters and cut funding to universities that allow protest, they're following a playbook used by authoritarians throughout history—revealing their fear of educated citizens demanding accountability. The historical record consistently shows that attempts to suppress student activism are a sign of weakness, not strength.

A (Non-Exhaustive) List of Student-Led Pro-Democracy Movements

1942-43 Germany: The White Rose student resistance group at Munich University distributed anti-Nazi leaflets exposing Hitler's atrocities. Members like Sophie and Hans Scholl were executed, but their courage inspired resistance throughout Germany.
1956 Hungary: University students in Budapest sparked a nationwide revolt against Soviet control. Though crushed by Soviet tanks, these students demonstrated how campus activism could challenge even superpower domination.
1968 France: The "May '68" uprising began at universities and triggered strikes by 11 million workers that paralyzed France. The student-initiated revolt transformed French society and nearly toppled the de Gaulle government.
1968 Mexico: Students protesting one-party rule faced a massacre at Tlatelolco Plaza where hundreds were killed. Though suppressed, their movement exposed the PRI regime's true nature, damaging its legitimacy for decades.
1968 Poland: Student demonstrations against communist censorship spread across universities. Though initially suppressed, they laid the groundwork for the Solidarity movement that eventually helped end communist rule.
1968 Yugoslavia: Belgrade students occupied their university demanding democratic reforms. Though crushed, these protests cracked the façade of Tito's regime and represented the first serious challenge to Yugoslavia's communist leadership.
1973 Greece: The Athens Polytechnic uprising saw students broadcast calls for freedom. When tanks crushed the protest, killing dozens, public outrage helped topple the military junta within months.
1976 South Africa: Soweto students protesting against apartheid education sparked nationwide uprisings. Images of brutal repression against schoolchildren damaged the regime's standing globally.
1980s South Africa: U.S. campus anti-apartheid movements built "shantytowns" and staged sit-ins, pressuring over 150 universities to divest billions from South Africa, adding crucial international pressure on the apartheid regime.
1984 Brazil: The "Diretas Já" movement saw students join with labor unions demanding the end of military dictatorship, playing a vital role in Brazil's democratic transition despite violent repression.
1986 Philippines: Student activists were crucial to the "People Power Revolution" that peacefully ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos after 21 years of rule, restoring democracy through massive nonviolent resistance.
1987 South Korea: The June Democracy Movement, sparked by a student activist's death by torture, saw millions join nationwide protests against military dictatorship, ultimately winning direct presidential elections.
1988 Burma: The "8/8/88" uprising began with university students in Rangoon. Despite thousands killed by military forces, they succeeded in forcing dictator Ne Win to step down.
1989 China: Students in Tiananmen Square led massive demonstrations for democracy that were crushed by military force. The regime's violent response and ongoing censorship reveal how deeply it feared student activism.
1989 Czechoslovakia: A student gathering on November 17 ignited the Velvet Revolution. Within days, half a million joined protests. Eight days later, the Communist leadership resigned, ending four decades of one-party rule.
1989 East Germany: Students at Leipzig University helped organize the Monday demonstrations challenging communist rule, contributing directly to the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany's democratic reunification.
1990 Nepal: Student activists were crucial to the movement that forced King Birendra to end his 30-year ban on political parties and accept a democratic constitution.
1990 Taiwan: The "Wild Lily" student movement's sit-in at Memorial Square succeeded in pushing President Lee to implement major democratic reforms, accelerating Taiwan's transition from authoritarian rule.
1998 Indonesia: Student-led "reformasi" demonstrations forced President Suharto to resign after 32 years of authoritarian rule. Their occupation of Parliament and nationwide protests catalyzed Indonesia's democratic transition.
1999 Iran: Tehran University protests against the closure of a reformist newspaper were met with violent raids by security forces and vigilantes, yet became the largest student protests since the 1979 revolution.
2000 Serbia: The student movement Otpor! pioneered creative nonviolent resistance against Slobodan Milošević. Their "He's finished" campaign helped force him from power when he tried to deny electoral defeat.
Ethiopia 2005-2018: University students, particularly in the Oromia region, led repeated waves of protest against the authoritarian government. Despite brutal crackdowns, these persistent student movements created pressure that eventually forced leadership changes and opened space for democratic reforms.
2007 Venezuela: Student movements emerged as the strongest opposition to Chávez's increasingly authoritarian rule, helping deliver his first electoral defeat and establishing students as key democratic voices.
2010-2011 Tunisia: University students were key in spreading protests after Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation, helping launch the Arab Spring revolution that ended Ben Ali's 23-year dictatorship.
2011 Egypt: University students organized the Tahrir Square protests during the Arab Spring, using social media to mobilize demonstrations that eventually toppled Mubarak's 30-year authoritarian rule.
2011-2013 Chile: The "Chilean Winter" student protests used creative tactics like mass "kiss-ins" and flash mobs to challenge the Pinochet-era education system, ultimately transforming Chilean politics.
2013 Turkey: What began as a student sit-in at Gezi Park expanded into nationwide protests against Erdoğan's increasingly authoritarian policies, becoming Turkey's largest anti-government demonstrations in decades. (Recent and Ongoing Movements)
2013-2014 Ukraine: The "Winter of Fire" began with students in Kyiv's Maidan Square protesting Yanukovych's rejection of an EU agreement. When police attacked them, it sparked a revolution that ultimately ousted his regime.
2014 Hong Kong: The student-led Umbrella Movement occupied streets demanding democratic elections. Beijing's harsh response revealed how threatened the regime felt by these young activists' demands.
2018 Nicaragua: Student demonstrations against Ortega's policies were met with deadly force from police and paramilitary groups, yet students continued as symbols of democratic resistance despite the brutal crackdown.
2019 Algeria: University students led weekly Tuesday marches during the Hirak protests, maintaining momentum that ultimately forced President Bouteflika to resign after two decades in power.
2020 Belarus: When Lukashenko claimed a fraudulent election victory, students leading university protests faced arrests, expulsions, and torture—a desperate response from a regime terrified of educated youth.
2020 Thailand: The "Bad Students" movement defied the military-backed government, with even high schoolers joining university students in demanding democratic reforms.
2021-2022 Myanmar: University students formed a core part of the Civil Disobedience Movement against the military coup, organizing flash protests despite facing deadly violence from security forces.
2022-2023 Iran: University students were at the forefront of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody. Despite brutal crackdowns, students across Iran organized campus demonstrations, removing hijabs and chanting against the regime, becoming a central force in the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic in decades.
2024 Bangladesh: In July 2024, Bangladeshi students initiated the “July Revolution,” protesting against authoritarianism and human rights abuses. The movement escalated into a nationwide uprising, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the establishment of an interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. This Gen Z-led revolution marked a significant shift towards democratic reforms in Bangladesh.
2024 Serbia: Following a tragic railway station collapse in Novi Sad that resulted in 15 deaths, Serbian students spearheaded massive anti-corruption protests in November 2024. These demonstrations, the largest since 1968, led to the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and increased pressure on President Aleksandar Vučić. The movement continues to advocate for transparency and democratic governance.