Petition Opposing Trump's UA Visit Garners Over 21,000 Signatures

TUSCALOOSA, AL — An online petition opposing President Donald Trump's visit to the University of Alabama next week has garnered over 21,000 signatures.

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As Patch previously reported, the president will give the keynote address at a ticketed event open to all 2025 graduates in Coleman Coliseum on Thursday, May 1 — the day before UA's spring commencement ceremonies begin.

"The University of Alabama is honored to have been selected as one of the universities President Donald J. Trump will visit to deliver a spring commencement address," UA said in an official statement that revealed the university was selected by the Trump administration, along with the United States Military Academy at West Point, as schools he planned to visit during the graduation season.

ALSO READ: University Of Alabama Gives Additional Details Ahead Of Trump Visit

The announcement was met locally with an expected mix of excitement and opposition, as Republicans praise Trump for his second visit to The Capstone in less than a year while Democrats on campus and at the county level have referred to the event as a little more than a political rally that will overshadow graduation ceremonies.

“This also comes at a time where one doctoral student of the university was kidnapped by ICE and denied bond by the Trump administration,” petition organizers said. "Last month, Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian national and doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, was detained by ICE and denied bond. Petition supporters are pointing to Doroudi’s case as part of a broader pattern of concern around student safety and inclusion."

As of the publication of this story, the online petition launched earlier this week on Change.org had received 21,276 signatures.

"Given the current political climate and the contentious legacy of the Trump administration, we believe that his presence would draw unnecessary controversy and negative attention to our university," the petition reads. "Commencement is a time to honor the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our graduating students — not to serve as a platform for political polarization."

The petition goes on to say that organizers are deeply concerned about the potential impact his participation could have on the well-being and sense of safety among students of color, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized members of the campus community.

"The values and rhetoric associated with President Trump do not reflect the inclusive and respectful environment we strive to uphold at the University of Alabama," the petition says. "This ceremony should remain a unifying and celebratory occasion, not a divisive event overshadowed by political ideologies that do not resonate with the broader student body. For these reasons, we strongly oppose President Trump’s involvement in this year’s commencement."

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