Columbia University has canceled its main commencement ceremony after weeks of student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, university officials said on Monday. Instead of the universitywide graduation, which was set to take place on May 15, the institution will hold “smaller-scale, school-based celebrations” for its nearly 15,000 graduates starting on Friday and running through May 16.
The decision comes days after New York police raided the university’s main campus and arrested more than 100 protesters. Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, had previously said her desire to host the commencement ceremony played a role in her decision to request the NYPD’s help in clearing Hamilton Hall, which demonstrators had occupied, and two of the student encampments on the campus’s main lawn. She also requested that officers remain on campus until at least May 17.
The smaller-scale graduation events will be held outside Columbia’s main campus, including at the university’s athletics complex, officials said. “These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for our community,” they said in their announcement. “Just as we are focused on making our graduation experience truly special, we continue to solicit student feedback and are looking at the possibility of a festive event on May 15 to take the place of the large, formal ceremony.”
Over the past month, a growing number of college students across the country have joined the protests against the war in Gaza, setting up pro-Palestine encampments on campus and demanding that their schools divest from Israel. The protests’ possible impact on commencement ceremonies has caused concern among university administrators. In late April, the University of Southern California canceled its graduation, originally set for May 10. The decision came days after the university was criticized for preventing its pro-Palestine valedictorian from speaking at the ceremony due to unspecified security concerns. On Saturday, around 75 graduates at the University of Michigan briefly interrupted the school’s commencement ceremony and walked out holding Palestinian flags. No arrests were made, the university administration said.
