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US Campus Protests Scaled Down 05/13 06:13
(AP) -- Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have spread across U.S.
university and college campuses in recent weeks, leading to disruptions and
arrests. Some demonstrations extended into weekend graduation celebrations,
although they were muted in comparison to the encampments and rallies that have
roiled campuses and resulted in nearly 2,900 arrests of students and other
protesters.
Most of the commencement exercises took place as scheduled and remained
largely peaceful. Here is a look at some of the ceremonies that included
protests:
DUKE UNIVERSITY
Dozens of the 7,000 graduates at Duke University left their seats to protest
pro-Israel speaker and comedian Jerry Seinfeld during the commencement in
Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday.
Some waved the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag and chanted
"Free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Seinfeld, whose decade-long namesake show became one of the most popular in
U.S. television history, was there to receive an honorary doctorate from the
university.
The stand-up comedian and actor has publicly supported Israel since it
invaded Gaza to dismantle Hamas after the organization attacked the country and
killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The ensuing war has
killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
POMONA COLLEGE
Southern California's small Pomona College moved Sunday evening's
commencement 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles
after pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment last week on the campus'
ceremony stage. A few dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to block access
to the graduation event.
Anwar Mohmed, a Pomona senior, said the school repeatedly ignored calls to
consider divesting its endowment funds from corporations tied to the war in
Gaza.
"We've been time and time again ignored by the institution," Mohmed said
outside the Shrine on Sunday. "So today we have to say, it's not business as
usual."
EMERSON COLLEGE
Student protesters at Emerson College in Boston occasionally erupted into
chants during Sunday's commencement ceremony, trying to disrupt the event.
Several speakers stopped briefly and then spoke louder while the chants died
down and ended. Some graduates wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. Others took
off their graduation gowns and dropped them on the stage after receiving their
diplomas.
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Dozens of graduating students at Virginia Commonwealth University walked out
Saturday during an address by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
While some of the estimated 100 students and family members who left during
the Republican governor's speech showed support for Palestinians, others held
signs signaling opposition to Youngkin's policies on education, according to
WRIC-TV.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
At the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday, a small group of
pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and chanted during commencement and
were escorted to the back of the stadium, according to the San Francisco
Chronicle. There were no major counterprotests, but some attendees voiced
frustration.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill splattered red paint on the steps of a building hours ahead of the
school's commencement and chanted on campus while students wearing graduation
gowns posed for photos, the News & Observer reported.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
A small group of demonstrators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison staged
what appeared to be a silent protest during commencement at Camp Randall
Stadium. A photo posted by the Wisconsin State Journal showed about six people
walking through the rear of the stadium. Two carried a Palestinian flag.
Marc Lovicott, a spokesperson for campus police, said the group, which he
believed included students because they were wearing caps and gowns, "was kind
of guided out, but they left on their own." No arrests were made.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at the campus had agreed Friday to permanently
dismantle their 2-week-old encampment and not disrupt graduation ceremonies in
return for the opportunity to connect with "decision-makers" who control
university investments by July 1.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
At the University of Texas at Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag
during Saturday's commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage briefly
before being escorted away by security.
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
In Boston, commencement ceremonies for Northeastern University were held
peacefully in the rain on May 5 at Fenway Park.
Some students waved small Palestinian and Israeli flags, but those were
dotted among flags from India, the U.S. and other nations. Undergraduate
student speaker Rebecca Bamidele drew brief cheers when she called for peace in
Gaza.
Police arrested about 100 protesters at Northeastern last month when they
broke up an encampment on campus.
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
A 53-year-old woman fell from the stands to her death during the May 5
graduation ceremony for Ohio State University, university officials said. The
woman's daughter was among those receiving a diploma.
The fall happened around midday near where the last graduates were filing
into Ohio Stadium. The Columbus Dispatch reported the death was being
investigated as an apparent suicide, citing coroner documents.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Police officers stood nearby as some graduates holding Palestinian flags and
shouting pro-Palestinian messages protested during commencement at the
University of Michigan on May 4. One banner said, "No universities left in
Gaza."
The protests were located away from the stage and didn't stop the nearly
two-hour event. Protesters have demanded Michigan cut financial ties with any
companies connected to Israel. The university allowed protesters to set up an
encampment in the middle of campus.
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