Cambridge Protest: Clergy, Professors Arrested In Rally Against DACA Decision

CAMBRIDGE, MA – At least 31 protesters, including reportedly a reverend and several faculty members from area universities, were arrested for disturbing the peace at a demonstration against the recent cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The Thursday afternoon rally near Harvard against the Trump administration's announcement this week culminated in an act of "non-violent civil disobedience," during which a human chain blocked Massachusetts Avenue, police said.

The demonstration included speeches from professors and students, who rallied in support of the children of undocumented immigrants only able to enroll in colleges across the country because they are protected by DACA. (Subscribe to Cambridge Patch for more local news and alerts)

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday morning that the administration would "rescind" the DACA program, which was created in 2012 through an executive order by President Barack Obama. The Trump administration will stop accepting new DACA applications but will not take away DACA protections until March. From there, administration officials argued if anyone should make any further moves regarding DACA, it should be Congress.

The rally began at 4 p.m. near a gate to Harvard Yard in Cambridge, before moving across Mass. Ave., a highly trafficked area during rush hour. The Cambridge Police Department advised drivers to avoid the area on account of "brief traffic disruptions." Both sides of Mass. Ave. have since reopened.

Massachusetts officials were not happy about Trump's decision yesterday to rescind DACA, and obviously, neither were area professors and educators at local universities. The anger lead to conversations online among area professors about what role they could play.

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Massachusetts Officials On Trump Decision To End DACA

Photos by Leah Yared/The Harvard Crimson