A Look at Commencements as U.S. Campuses Are Roiled by Israel-Hamas War Protests

Commencement ceremonies are being held at colleges and universities across the U.S. As many campuses have been roiled by protests over the Israel-Hamas war, some school administrations have taken steps to contain disruptions during their commencement activities.

University of Michigan’s commencement was held early Saturday with a few interruptions. Ahead of the ceremony, the school had said staff and security officers were ready to respond and that interfering with commencement would not be considered free speech.

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Here is a look at some of the commencement ceremonies:

Northeastern University

In Boston, commencement ceremonies for Northeastern University began peacefully Sunday morning at Fenway Park.

Some students waved Palestinian flags but those were dotted among flags from India, the U.S. and other nations. Graduate students had their ceremony first, with the undergraduate ceremony scheduled for the afternoon.

Police last month arrested about 100 protesters at Northeastern when they broke up an encampment on the Boston campus.

University of Michigan

Police officers stood nearby as some graduates holding Palestinian flags and shouting pro-Palestinian messages protested during commencement at the University of Michigan on Saturday, where tens of thousands of people gathered inside Michigan Stadium. One banner said, “No universities left in Gaza.”

The protests were away from the stage and didn’t stop the nearly two-hour event. But U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro paused a few times during remarks and at one point said, “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, if you can please draw your attention back to the podium.”

Del Toro administered an oath to graduates in the armed forces. He said they would “protect the freedoms that we so cherish,” including the “right to protest peacefully.”

Protesters have been demanding that Michigan cut financial ties with any companies connected to Israel. The university has allowed protesters to set up an encampment in the middle of campus.

Police assisted in breaking up a large gathering Friday night outside a campus art museum where a dinner was held for recipients of honorary degrees. At least one person was arrested.

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