Members of Crimson Courage — an alumni group advocating for academic freedom — distributed flyers outside the gates of Harvard Yard Thursday morning as the first students and parents lined up for the ceremony.

The flyers emphasized constitutional rights and academic independence and took aim at United States President Donald Trump’s campaign against Harvard and higher education writ large.

In an interview, Piotr P. “Pio” Szamel ’10 said that the group was distributing the flyers to encourage Harvard “to continue to stand up and also to support the University in standing up to the Trump administration.

“We’re here to mostly raise awareness, and especially among alumni who might be coming and soon-to-be alumni,” Szamel said.

Szamel said that most attendees he had spoken to were “pretty encouraged by the support.”

The group held a virtual call on Tuesday evening with Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey to rally support ahead of Commencement. According to organizers, the goal was to “stand up for Harvard’s independence and integrity” in the face of what they described as “coordinated political attacks on universities nationwide.”

​​—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.