Leading US University Cancels Main Graduation Ceremony After Weeks Of Gaza Protests

Washington: Columbia University on Monday cancelled its university-wide graduation ceremony on May 15 following weeks of pro-Palestine protests that have plagued its campus.

Instead, New York City’s renowned Ivy League university has decided to go for smaller celebrations to focus on safety factor.

“We have decided to make the centrepiece of our commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honoured individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that was scheduled for May 15,” Columbia University said in a statement, reported Reuters.

The university said it had consulted with student leaders before deciding on how to handle graduation.

The majority of the ceremonies were set to take place on the Morningside Heights campus, where most of the protests have taken place. Now, these will be moved to the university’s main athletic complex.

Besides Columbia University, pro-Palestine demonstrations have been going on at dozens of other universities across the US.

These protesters have been demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military assistance for Israel and university divestment from companies profiting from Israel’s incursion.

New York Police recently arrested several people on charges of burglary and trespassing, including at least 30 students, alumni and Columbia University employees.