Anti-Israel campus protesters are disrupting college graduation ceremonies and campuses nationwide as Israel’s war against Hamas rages on.
The University of Michigan’s commencement on Saturday was briefly disrupted by anti-Israel demonstrators and student protesters walked out of Indiana University’s commencement ceremony to join campus protesters. Ohio State University is also bracing for protests at its graduation on Sunday.
The commencement protests f0llow the University of Southern California’s decision to cancel its main commencement ceremony because of anti-Israel demonstrations and backlash from USC’s decision to prevent its anti-Israel valedictorian from speaking.
Footage spread on social media showed Michigan students cheering when police quickly moved them to the back of the ceremony. The small group of protesters held up Palestine flags and ultimately failed to shut down the commencement.
Some of the student demonstrators at Indiana University chanted “Shut it down” and “Free Palestine” upon walking out of their graduation. A group of them was treated with boos as they departed.
Last month, an anti-Israel tent encampment began at Michigan following the national attention brought to Columbia University’s anti-Israel encampment.
Eventually, Columbia allowed NYPD officers to arrest demonstrators and clear out the encampment after a building on campus was ransacked by student protesters and outside activists.
Campus protesters have been demonstrating against their university’s financial relationships with companies that do business in Israel and U.S. support for Israel’s ongoing war effort against Hamas. Oftentimes, protests have featured antisemitic and pro-Hamas chanting paired with broad denunciations of America.
Thousands of families are flocking to campuses nationwide to celebrate their students academic achievements and personal growth during their time in college. The large crowds and extra significance of graduation make commencement ceremonies a prime opportunity for disruptive activists seeking to bring attention to their cause.
Meanwhile, police at the University of Virginia arrested at least 25 anti-Israel protesters on Saturday and cleared them off a campus lawn. UVA president Jim Ryan said in a statement yesterday the police were called after protesters stopped adhering to campus policy and encouraged outside demonstrators to join them. UVA is a public school bound by the First Amendment.
“This afternoon, the police declared an unlawful assembly, issued no trespass orders to those who refused to disperse, and arrested those who continued to refuse dispersal,” Ryan said.
“Unfortunately, a small group today made a choice to willingly break the rules after being given many opportunities to comply, and they then refused to leave the site voluntarily.”
Police have been called onto numerous campuses over the past few weeks to arrest and clear out anti-Israel protesters in violation of school policies. Other schools have made deals to end the protesters and some encampments are ongoing.