Students and faculty march around campus, condemning the CU administration’s recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
It was a cold and cloudy afternoon when the crowd of roughly 60 student protesters gathered in a largely empty University Memorial Center Fountain Court on Friday, holding signs with written slogans like “Education Not Deportation,” “Cancel The Contracts” and “Kick Out Key Lime.”
In the minutes before the protest began, a large Public Announcement speaker played “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan and “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, as if to recall the student activism of 1960s and 1970s Boulder.
The protest, organized by the University of Colorado Boulder Young Democratic Socialists of America, largely focused on criticizing CU’s $2 million deal with OpenAI, CU Athletics’ contract with Key Lime Air, as well as promoting candidates for the ongoing CU Student Government election. The UMC gathering was followed by a march toward the University Administrative Center.
Andy Greer, a senior undergraduate student and member of YDSA, organized the demonstration. Other student groups, including Demand Action, Team Enough, CU Engineering Activists, Democracy Matters and Students for Justice in Palestine, were also present in support.
Speakers at the protest highlighted CU’s contract with Key Lime Air, which has chartered flights for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Colorado Newsline. The Englewood-based airliner has also been contracted by CU Athletics for various sports teams since 2011, the most current contract for basketball ending in 2028.
“As a university that prides itself on its community, there is absolutely no reason why the same university should be supporting ICE deportations, which actively endanger members of our community,” Greer said in an email statement.
Greer told the crowd that CU Boulder “fails to respect student voices” as students have been voicing concerns since Key Lime’s contract with ICE came to light.
“Not another nickel, not another dime! No more money to Key Lime!” the crowd chanted.
In addition to Key Lime Air, the protestors decried CU’s $2 million OpenAI contract for ChatGPT EDU, saying it was unwanted by the students and a waste of tuition dollars. Brylan Graber, a candidate for CU Student Government’s tri-executive “ACE” ticket, claimed ChatGPT EDU was no better than ChatGPT’s free model.
“Quick show of hands if people want to pay for free AI,” Graber asked the crowd, who responded with boos. “That 2 million could have gone to students who can’t afford to be here.”
Protestors also criticized OpenAI’s agreement with the Department of Defense to deploy its AI models at the Pentagon, announced last February. ChatGPT’s environmental and learning impacts, and its collection of user information to train chatbots, were also criticized.
These criticisms of OpenAI came after CU delayed its deployment of ChatGPT EDU to students to Aug. 14, 2026. After announcing the original March 31 release date, the Office of the President announced on March 19th that it would be delayed, citing faculty concerns about disruption to the learning environment. However, faculty and staff will still receive access to the platform by the original date.
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students and faculty rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
Students rally outside the UMC to protest the CU administration's recent actions on March 27, 2026. (Sagan Randall/CU Independent)
In addition to the primary concerns of Greer and the YDSA, many at the protest took time to support various candidates for CU Student Government. These include the “ACE” ticket for tri-executive, made up of Graber, Freya Nagy and Kerem Gurkan, as well as three candidates for Representative-At-Large: Isabel Alvarado, Owen Andrews and Cole Fulton.
“Our campaign is focused on action, cost and efficiency,” Graber said. “One thing that we really have in common with YDSA and a lot of people out here is we want to reduce student costs.”
If elected, ACE hopes to do so by cancelling CU’s OpenAI deal. It has yet to be seen whether CU Student Government could have the power to overturn such a monumental contract, but Graber believes that it should.
“I mean, if administration isn’t listening to students, then what is student government for,” Graber asked. “They serve us, we don’t serve them.”
At 1 p.m., protesters began their march from the UMC to the University Administrative Center as their chants echoed through the cold, empty campus. Voices emerged from the crowd to start the next chant, from the students carrying the banners to unseen voices in the middle of the pack.
A group of CU staff, including UMC director Montez Butts and one campus officer, followed the procession.
As the protestors spilled over the sidewalk on the way toward the Engineering Center, some students passing by stood to watch. Dania Martinez, a CU student, recorded the march on her phone.
“It’s empowering to see people fight to empower my people,” Martinez said.
Other students watched from their dorm windows or the top steps of the Center for Community.
As the protestors passed the Regent Administrative Center, they began to chant louder, looking and pointing at the staff in the second-story windows. Once they had reached the University Administrative Center, cars began to honk their horns as they passed by on Broadway.
The crowd participated in more chanting before closing out with a speech by student Aydan Metsch. Once the crowd began to disperse, the group of staff who had been following the march grouped together in a casual huddle. A lone student walked toward them, shouted “cancel the contract!” and walked away.
“It’s always so good seeing so many students pull up,” Greer said as he and the organizers packed away their equipment. “A month ago, there was the big ‘ICE Out’ walkout. That was crazy. We would love to get up to that level, but one step at a time.”
According to Greer, the YDSA’s next goal is to demonstrate at the Regents meeting at CU Denver on April 16, bringing Friday’s considerable support with them.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Dominic Leading Fox at Dominic.LeadingFox@colorado.edu
