Pro-Palestinian Protesters Interrupt College Graduation

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan. The disruption came amid ongoing protests across college campuses that have caused issues for classes and final exams.

The protesters carried several signs, including “ACAB,” which stands for “All Cops are Bastards.” Another sign read “Free, Free Palestine” while another accused the college of funding genocide.

Video from the ceremony showed the protesters marching through the expectant parents. As a result, they were greeted by some boos and cheers. Soon thereafter the crowd started chanting “U.S.A.”

As a response, the protesters started chanting “Free, free Gaza.”

Pro-Hamas activists storm a commencement ceremony for students at the University of Michigan. Parents and guests of the students shout “Get out!” as the activists disrupt the ceremony and block their view of the stage. pic.twitter.com/YBM0xdxeHv

— THOMAS (@TommyInPA) May 4, 2024

The graduation interruption was not the only one recently. A pro-Israel barbecue was forced to move location by Rutgers University following pro-Palestinian protests.

Rutgers also accepted eight sets of demands from the students, including admitting Palestinian students and hiring more staff for Palestinian and Muslim issues.

Last month Columbia University was forced to hold classes online following the establishment of a student tent encampment. Students have also occupied several academic buildings on campus, leading to police having to clear out the buildings, leading to dozens of arrests.

President Joe Biden made a statement last week stating that the protesters had failed in their efforts to change White House policy. The president’s words came after the White House criticized the increasing antisemitism occurring on college campuses.

“Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations: none of this is a peaceful protest,” he said. “Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest. It’s against the law.”

“There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it’s anti-semitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab-Americans or Palestinian-Americans. It’s simply wrong,” said the president.

Despite the statement, the protests appear to be accelerating, including at a number of campuses across the country. What started as protests within expensive private schools such as Columbia have expanded to a number of other private and public colleges.