Democracy Dies in Darkness

‘Stand Up for Science’ rallies call for Trump to reverse research cuts

The Stand Up for Science rallies are a response to the Trump administration’s actions, which critics see as a threat to scientific progress.

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Hundreds gather at the Lincoln Memorial for a “Stand up for Science” rally. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)
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On any other Friday, Meghan Bullard would probably be immersed in data on a novel treatment for multiple sclerosis, the subject of her dissertation as a graduate student at Georgetown University.

But on this Friday afternoon, she was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial holding up a sign that read “LITERALLY TRYING TO CURE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS BUT OKAY …” She was one of at least hundreds who gathered there to push back against a series of executive orders, funding freezes and other administrative edicts that they say threaten the foundations of scientific research and could carry deadly and costly long-term consequences.