The University of Southern California announced Thursday it will not host its main commencement ceremony—a decision that comes a day after more than 90 students protesting in solidarity with Palestinians were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Pro-Palestinian protests began on campus Wednesday. (Photo by Grace Hie Yoon/Anadolu via Getty ... [+]
The university said in a commencement update it “will not be able to” host the main graduation ceremony, citing new safety measures that would increase the time needed to process the thousands of guests who typically attend the ceremony.
The announcement follows the arrest of 93 protesters on campus who attended a demonstration demanding USC end study abroad programs in Israel, provide amnesty to campus members disciplined for pro-Palestinian activism and disclose and divest its finances from companies that profit from “Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine,” according to a statement from the USC Divest From Death Coalition.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.