Over 1,000 Students Walk Out During Harvard's Commencement Ceremony
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Over 1,000 students staged a walkout during Harvard University’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, following a semester marked by protests, encampments, and faculty resignations.
For Context: During the spring semester, pro-Palestinian protesters at Harvard erected an encampment on campus, calling for the school to divest from Israeli entities. Earlier this month, the student organizers of the protest announced that they reached an agreement with the faculty to peacefully take down the encampment in exchange for discussions with faculty over potentially divesting the school’s endowment from Israeli entities. After this, the school announced that 13 students would not be permitted to graduate, citing their conduct during the protests.
Details: During the ceremony, Harvard’s interim president Alan Garber was booed by some students during his address. Later in the ceremony, over 1,000 students walked out and reconvened in a nearby church, where they held a “People’s Commencement,” which featured testimonials highlighting the Palestinian cause.
Key Quotes: Shruthi Kumar, the undergraduate student speaker, stated in her address, “This semester, our freedom of speech and expressions of solidarity became punishable, leaving our graduation uncertain.” Regarding the 13 students not allowed to graduate, Kumar said, “These are my peers and friends, and I can’t in good conscience celebrate when their families are in pain.”
How the Media Covered It: Harvard’s commencement was covered nationally by outlets across the spectrum, highlighting how incidents on college campuses have become the focal point of Americans’ debate over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Students Walk Out in Protest at Harvard Commencement
Hundreds of students walked out of Harvard University’s commencement ceremony on Thursday morning as degrees were conferred, while hundreds chanted “Let them walk!”, a reference to 13 student protesters who were not allowed to graduate after a vote Wednesday by the Harvard Corporation, the university’s governing body.
The walkout was a jarring reminder of continuing unrest on the Cambridge campus, on a day when more than 9,000 graduates and their families were gathered in Harvard Yard for celebration and reflection.
At the start of the ceremony, the university’s interim president,...
From the Center
Harvard graduates walk out of commencement after weeks of protests
Hundreds of graduates at Harvard University walked out of their commencement Thursday after the school announced 13 students who participated in the recent pro-Palestinian protests on campus would not be allowed to receive their diplomas with fellow students.
Groups of graduates walked out chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “Let them walk, let them walk” in reference to the students barred from walking at the ceremony, The Associated Press reported.
A total of more than 1,000 students participated in the walkout, according to the school’s protest groups.
Harvard’s administrative board determined...
From the Right
Harvard student goes off script in commencement speech to rip school as more than 1,000 walk out
A Harvard University commencement speaker went dramatically off script to blast the Ivy League school for barring a handful of those involved in a disruptive anti-Israeli encampment — before more than 1,000 students also staged a walkout.
Shruthi Kumar, the Harvard senior selected to deliver the English address Thursday, pulled out a piece of paper containing controversial remarks hidden up the sleeve of her gown and took aim at university leaders over the decision to deny more than a dozen students their diplomas.
“As I stand here today, I must take a...
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