Pro-Palestinian Protests Disrupt U.S. College Graduations

College graduation ceremonies across the United States were marred by protests on Saturday, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators voiced their dissent at UC-Berkeley, VCU, UNC, and Xavier. At UC-Berkeley, the commencement ceremony was disrupted by hundreds of chanting students, leading to security intervention to remove the protesters. Similar scenes unfolded at VCU, where protestors walked out of the graduation event in opposition to Governor Glen Youngkin’s commencement address, citing concerns over his stance on LGBTQ+ rights, racial literacy, and support for police actions against pro-Palestinian protests.

At Xavier University in Cincinnati, two protesters, including a student and an alum, were arrested for refusing to comply with the university’s request to move to a designated demonstration area. Meanwhile, at UNC, protesters reportedly defaced a campus building with red paint and set up an encampment near the graduation photo spot, as part of what they called “the people’s graduation.”

These incidents are part of a broader trend of activism on college campuses regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began in mid-April with an encampment at Columbia University calling for the school to sever financial ties with Israel. Since then, protests have spread to campuses nationwide, including UCLA, Princeton, and the University of Texas at Austin, sometimes leading to clashes with police.

In response to the protests, some colleges have taken precautions, such as increased security measures, while others have made concessions. For example, the University of Wisconsin reached agreements with protesters to end encampments and prevent disruptions, while Pomona College in California relocated its Sunday graduation off-campus after protesters occupied the commencement stage.

The protests have not been without consequence, as several colleges, including Columbia, USC, and Cal Poly Humboldt, canceled their main commencement events due to concerns over continued protests and potential disruptions. This has sparked debate about free speech and the response of school leaders to campus activism.