diff --git a/compiler/__tests__/parser.test.ts b/compiler/__tests__/parser.test.ts
index d4d5e33..c3985ac 100644
--- a/compiler/__tests__/parser.test.ts
+++ b/compiler/__tests__/parser.test.ts
@@ -853,4 +853,35 @@ speck Second {
       }
     });
   });
+
+  // Cycle 65: default-value syntax `= <expr>` on event fields was
+  // bleeding into the type expression. Real federated-meetup has
+  //   initial_mesh_peers: List<InitialMeshPeer> = []
+  // emitted as `List<InitialMeshPeer> = [] initial_mesh_peers = 1;`
+  // which protoc rejects. The fix strips `= <expr>` from the type
+  // before parsing (the default is a Speckl semantic; the .proto wire
+  // format has no place for it).
+  describe('default value stripping (cycle 65)', () => {
+    it('should strip `= []` from event field type expressions', () => {
+      const content = `speck One {
+  event CreateGroup {
+    initial_mesh_peers: List<InitialMeshPeer> = []
+  }
+}`;
+      const ast = parseSpeckContent(content);
+      const ev = ast.specks[0].members.find(m => m.name === 'CreateGroup');
+      if (ev?.type === 'event') {
+        const f = ev.fields[0];
+        expect(f.name).toBe('initial_mesh_peers');
+        expect(f.type.type).toBe('list');
+        expect(f.type.elementType?.name).toBe('InitialMeshPeer');
+        // The full type string should not contain '= []' anywhere — verify
+        // via the elementType name and the parent's name (both undefined
+        // for List, so we check the parser did not preserve the default
+        // in any visible field).
+        const asAny = f.type as any;
+        expect(JSON.stringify(asAny)).not.toContain('= []');
+      }
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/compiler/src/parser.ts b/compiler/src/parser.ts
index 1e3d8a8..fa26c2a 100644
--- a/compiler/src/parser.ts
+++ b/compiler/src/parser.ts
@@ -1309,7 +1309,16 @@ function parseEventBlockMultiline(lines: string[], startIndex: number, startBrac
     //   bytes  // 4 bytes (IPv4 overlay) mesh_ip = 2;
     // (broken syntax — comment is in the type position).
     const noComment = line.replace(/\/\/.*$/, '').trim();
-    const match = noComment.match(/^(\w+)\s*:\s*(.+?),?$/);
+    // Cycle 65: strip default-value suffix `= <expr>` from the type
+    // expression. The federated-meetup speckdl has fields like
+    //   initial_mesh_peers: List<InitialMeshPeer> = []
+    // where the default is meaningful in Speckl semantics (a state-
+    // machine init) but the .proto wire format doesn't carry a
+    // default — it's a generator concern. Without this, the type
+    // expression was emitted as `List<InitialMeshPeer> = []` and
+    // protoc rejects the resulting syntax.
+    const noDefault = noComment.replace(/\s*=\s*[^,]+$/, '').trim();
+    const match = noDefault.match(/^(\w+)\s*:\s*(.+?),?$/);
     if (match) {
       fields.push({ name: match[1], type: parseTypeExpr(match[2].replace(/,$/, '').trim()) });
     }