As the commencement season unfolds worldwide, universities are awarding degrees to students who have dedicated four years of hard work to their education. This year, however, the ceremonies are marked by protests against the Israeli aggression on Palestine. Graduates are stepping forward, hoisting Palestinian flags, and holding placards to express their support for the people of Gaza.
Since 7 October, Israel has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians on the besieged enclave of Gaza.
At Columbia University, Harvard University and many others saw protests in the form of encampment programmes from April onwards.
Although the graduation ceremony of Columbia, known for its history of student activism, was initially postponed, it eventually took place on 10 May. During the ceremony, many students donned keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian headscarf, and waved Palestinian flags. Placards reading “Let Gaza live,” “Ceasefire now,” and “Free Free Palestine” were prominent.
In a striking act of defiance, one student ripped up her degree immediately after receiving it, proudly wearing a keffiyeh along with her graduation robe and cap.
Harvard University’s commencement ceremony on 23 May also witnessed similar protests. Graduates staged a massive walkout, and Sruthi Kumar, a graduate speaker, addressed the systematic oppression by the administration, which had denied degrees to 13 students involved in April’s encampment programme.
“The students had spoken; the faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?” she asked, receiving thunderous applause and standing ovations.
Similar scenes unfolded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s commencement ceremony on 30 May. As keynote speaker Noubar Afeyan took the stage, students chanted “Free, free Palestine.” The event saw 100 MIT students walking out, joined by about 100 more protesters and their relatives, many draped in keffiyehs, waving Palestinian flags, and holding posters.
On 16 June, Stanford University’s campus saw around 300 graduates walking out of commencement to join a pro-Palestine rally.
Earlier in May, other universities such as the University of Michigan, Northeastern University, the University of Illinois Chicago, and Indiana University also experienced protests over Israel’s actions in Gaza since 7 October.
From Los Angeles to New York, students are making clear demands: divest from Israel. US universities, which receive significant donations from dedicated Jewish communities and have strong ties with Israel for military research, are under immense pressure to sever these affiliations. The student message is unequivocal: the genocide happening in broad daylight cannot be ignored.
To understand the involvement of Bangladeshi students in these protests, we spoke with Tauhid Tanjim, a Bangladeshi PhD student at the prestigious Cornell University residing in Manhattan, New York. Tanjim, actively involved in protests over Israel’s war and Zionist oppression on Gaza, voices his support for Palestinian rights on social media.
When asked about the significance of these protests by international students, Tanjim said, “Every little step counts. I might not have done a lot, but even small actions add up. Supporting the Palestinian cause means fighting against unfair treatment and standing up to colonisers. As an international student, it’s important for me to do what I can to help, because this is about fighting for what’s right, not just here, but everywhere.”
Addressing whether these protests could influence US policies favouring Israel, Tanjim expressed optimism saying, “Yes, I definitely think the protests have the potential to influence policy towards Israel in the long run. It’s obviously going to take some time. Many people globally were unaware of the issues before, but these protests have opened eyes and increased pressure on policymakers to rethink their positions and actions. Political leaders worldwide are starting to change their tone because of this public pressure.”
The global protests echo one clear message for lasting peace in the Middle East: to free Palestine.