Graduating students put on handcuffs, displayed Palestinian flags and tore up diplomas during a graduation ceremony at the embattled Columbia University.
Friday’s onset came after weeks of clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters, administrators and law enforcement.
Despite the controversy, some students maintained their fighting spirit. A graduate social worker walked onto the stage with her hands zipped above her head as cheers rang out from the audience.
As a livestream of the event appeared, she turned to the crowd and tore her diploma into pieces.
The university announced last Monday that it would cancel its main commencement due to safety concerns. Dozens of smaller ceremonies will be held instead.
At Columbia University’s commencement on Friday, a graduate student walked onto the stage with her hands tied above her head
She immediately tore up her diploma after receiving it
Several students put keffiyehs and zip ties or handcuffs on their wrists
Other students waved the Palestinian flag in a show of solidarity with civilians in Gaza
The first two ceremonies for the School of Professional Studies went off without a hitch on Friday morning and afternoon.
But the School of Social Work graduation sparked debate as protesters began gathering across the stage at the Baker Athletics Complex.
Several students wore keffiyeh scarves, which have become closely associated with the Palestinian liberation movement.
Two girls waved “Free Palestine” signs as they received their diplomas. Another student carried a flag with the slogan “Divest Now,” a call for the university to withdraw its economic and academic interests from Israel.
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine posted a clip of the ceremony on Instagram, accompanied by a caption that read, “The students remind us all of Palestine at EVERY GRADUATION.”
Also uploaded to the account was a photo of a student’s graduation cap, which bore the words: “Recognize Gaza’s Class of 2024 and those who will never graduate.”
Protests continued into Monday during ceremonies in front of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Some PhD students opted to skip graduation altogether, leaving rows of empty seats. During their commencement later in the day, several master’s students walked onto the stage waving Palestinian flags.
One student’s graduation cap bore the words: “Recognize Gaza’s Class of 2024 and those who will never graduate.”
Several students were seen waving Palestinian flags. One student carried a flag that read “Divest Now,” a call for the university to withdraw its investments from Israel
New York City Police Department officers arrested dozens of protesters on April 30 and cleared a building that had been seized a day earlier.
School officials said they called police to campus for the second time in less than two weeks after Hamilton Hall was “vandalized and blocked.”
Earlier that month, the NYPD told DailyMail.com that more than a hundred protesters were arrested after police stormed the “Gaza Solidarity Camp” on campus, ending a two-day sit-in.
President Nemat Shafik has asked officers to remain on campus until May 17 to prevent further occupations.
