Columbia University has announced it has canceled its commencement ceremony on May 15 after weeks of pro-Palestine protests have taken over the campus.
The Ivy League school announced its decision to cancel was due to security concerns.
Instead of having its usual universitywide commencement, Columbia announced it will now only have small-scale graduation ceremonies.
In a statement, Columbia announced, “Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families.”
🚨 BREAKING: Columbia University has canceled their main graduation ceremony due to protests on campus
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 6, 2024
Columbia University cancels graduation this year in light of student demonstrations demanding a halt to the genocide carried out by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip#Rafah #Colombiauniversity #Colombia #Gaza pic.twitter.com/qOg0ZApkMf
— fadi daoud (@fadidaoud662601) May 6, 2024
NEW: Columbia Law students are demanding that the school cancel finals and pass all students because they are so traumatized from NYPD "violence" they witnessed last week.
LMAO.
The sensitive and "shaken" students say they're so upset by police in riot gear that they can't… pic.twitter.com/Ek9bcrBjWG
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 6, 2024
Here’s what NBC News shared:
Columbia will replace its universitywide commencement ceremony on May 15 with “smaller-scale, school-based celebrations,” university officials announced Monday, after weeks of pro-Palestinian and counterprotests on campus.
The Ivy League school said the decision was made after discussions with student leaders. Security concerns were a main reason behind the decision, a university official told NBC News.
“Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,” the university said Monday. “They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their school’s invited guest speakers. As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.”
As a result, students will be “honored individually alongside their peers” in the smaller ceremonies. “Class Days” and school ceremonies scheduled at the south lawn of the Morningside campus have also been relocated to Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex.
Columbia University cancels graduation.
They can't control the violence of SJP and other pro-Palestinian organizations on campus.#Columbia pic.twitter.com/u1Ka40oxZo
— Ella Travels (Ella Kenan) (@EllaTravelsLove) May 6, 2024
Per BBC:
Columbia University has cancelled its main graduation after weeks of protests on campus over the Israel-Gaza war.
The Ivy League school said it was ditching the 15 May commencement in favour of smaller celebrations to focus on “keeping them safe”.
The New York City university said it had arrived at the decision after consultations with student leaders.
Colleges across the US are bracing for disruptions at graduations amid pro-Palestinian protests.Columbia said in a statement on Monday: “Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families.
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