Tensions flared outside Columbia University on Wednesday during its annual commencement ceremony, as anti-Israel protesters clashed with law enforcement, resulting in at least two arrests. A few dozen demonstrators gathered across the street from the university’s main entrance, creating a chaotic scene that contrasted with the relatively undisturbed proceedings inside the campus gates, attended by approximately 37,000 people.
While the ceremony itself proceeded largely as planned, acting President Claire Shipman’s commencement address faced disruption from within, as raucous chants demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia graduate student detained by ICE agents in March and awaiting deportation, momentarily overshadowed her speech.
The more volatile situation unfolded outside the campus perimeter, where some graduating students engaged in acts of protest, including the burning of their diplomas. These individuals loudly booed, chanted slogans, and displayed signs condemning Israel for alleged “atrocities” in its ongoing conflict with Hamas. Police were called to the scene to restore order, though the New York Police Department (NYPD) could not immediately confirm who initiated the request for their presence at the Morningside Heights campus.
The individual at the center of some of the protests, Mahmoud Khalil, served as a spokesman for the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group (CUAD), a radical organization. Khalil is reportedly facing deportation under the Trump administration due to alleged involvement in activities “aligned to Hamas.” Prior to Wednesday’s graduation, CUAD had issued a call to action on social media, explicitly vowing to disrupt the commencement exercises. Their message on X (formerly Twitter) urged supporters to “WEAR A MASK! GET LOUD! BRING NOISE! NO COMMENCEMENT AS USUAL UNDER GENOCIDE!”
The events outside Columbia University underscore the persistent and deeply divisive tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on university campuses across the United States, even during celebratory occasions like graduation ceremonies. The actions of the protesters, ranging from vocal disruptions to symbolic acts of diploma burning, highlight the intensity of their convictions and their willingness to employ disruptive tactics to draw attention to their cause. The involvement of law enforcement further emphasizes the challenges universities face in balancing freedom of expression with the need to maintain order and ensure the safety of all attendees during such large-scale events.
Discussion about this post