WHAT: Students, faith leaders, and Ohioans are coming together for a powerful rally in Columbus to oppose Project 2025 and its architects, convening in the city for the Essential Summit--an effort to co-opt faith in the name of hate. Our diverse coalition is making it clear: hatred and attempts to undermine our freedoms have no place in our state.

WHEN: Thursday, October 3rd, 4:00 PM

WHERE: Outside the Columbus Convention Center located at 400 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215 

WHO:  

Students from colleges across Ohio organized by the Ohio Student Association

• Interfaith coalition of religious leaders led by the Amos Project

• Concerned citizens from Springfield, Portage County, Columbus, and beyond

• Advocacy groups fighting to preserve freedoms

WHY: Right now, powerful special interests including the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Christian Virtue are trying to divide us and roll back the clock on our freedoms, hiding behind religion to push vile policies that rip away our rights, weaken our communities, and put power in the hands of greedy corporations.

Ohio has been used as a political pawn at the national stage, coming with a real cost to our neighbors. In Springfield, bomb threats and hate-filled flyers targeting minority communities have been distributed, sowing fear and division. In Portage County, the county sheriff has publicly called for the sharing of addresses and personal information of Harris supporters. Ohio students see the real-world consequences of divisive rhetoric from bigoted politicians, and we're here to take a stand.

The Essential Summit, taking place TOMORROW, Thursday October 3, at the Columbus Convention Center, is where the architects of this authoritarian narrative are coming together to push their agenda even further in Ohio. The summit will feature prominent conservative figures, including: 

• Dr. Ben Carson,

• Dr. Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation,
  Aaron Baer of the Center for Christian Virtue,

• Senate President Matt Huffman, and

• Representatives from Lifewise.

This summit serves to promote Project 2025's agenda, a fundamental threat to democratic principles and religious freedom.

By uniting across race, class, and faith, Ohioans are standing strong against this dangerous agenda. We're pushing back because we know our strength comes from solidarity—not division. Together, we're protecting our freedoms, ensuring equal rights for all, and fighting for an Ohio that works for everyone, not just the supremacist wealthy few.

This rally will show that Ohio stands for unity and fairness, rejecting hatred and division. By coming together, we can secure a future where every person, regardless of race or background, can live in dignity and enjoy the freedoms we all deserve--a future fundamentally threatened by these actors.

The Ohio Student Association is a statewide grassroots organization anchored by student-led chapters on college campuses across Ohio that organize issue campaigns to fight for racial, economic, and educational justice.

Twitter: @OhioStudents • Instagram: @OhioStudents

Website: ohiostudentassociation.org