CMU students create petition calling for ‘The Fence’ rules to be written into policy

PITTSBURGH — Students at Carnegie Mellon University have created a coalition to make sure “The Fence” remains a protected outlet of self-expression for students on campus.

“You can’t move the goal post, especially on free speech,” said Anthony Cacciato, president of College Republicans

The students are once again taking a stand for freedom of speech. On Thursday, they presented the university with a petition signed by over 530 students calling for the university to accept the rules for expression on “The Fence” to be written as official university policy.

In July, students painted anti-Trump and anti-sexual assault messages on the fence ahead of the president’s visit for the AI and energy summit.

“Just because something is controversial, just because something is provoking a conversation on campus…where it’s supposed to be the place that uncomfortable ideas are spoken about, that shouldn’t be a reason to censor students,” Cacciato said.

The Fence was covered by the university ahead of the president’s visit.

Ciacciato said the action was university overreach, and now he and several other organizations are making sure it does not happen again.

“It’s very hard, especially in this day and age, where the college progressives and the College Republicans, College Democrats and the Libertarians, can all get together and say, ‘We care about this,’” Ciacciato said.

Macy Walker, co-president of the CMU College Progressives, also supports the petition.

“When we see something we don’t like painted on it. We as students don’t come out and paint over it,” Walker said.

According to Cicciato, the students walked the petition straight to the president of the university’s office in the Warner Building, where they had a face-to-face discussion.

Cicciato told Channel 11 the petition was denied, but that it would not stop the students from trying again.

“Not just us, but I think every organization that cares about this will keep pushing for it. The Fence is just one thing, and I think it’s connected to many other issues,” Walker said.

Channel 11 reached out to the university for comment, but has not heard back at this time.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2026 Cox Media Group