Columbia University has opted to cancel its primary university-wide commencement ceremony slated for May 15, favoring smaller, school-specific events instead. This decision comes after weeks of intense protests regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which significantly disrupted activities at the Ivy League institution.
In a statement, Columbia acknowledged the challenges the community has faced recently and emphasized a shift towards honoring individual students alongside their peers at Class Days and school-level ceremonies, rather than holding the larger university-wide event.
The protests at Columbia, which gained national attention, have sparked similar demonstrations at numerous universities across the United States. Students have been advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and urging their institutions to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Some universities, including Columbia, resorted to deploying riot police to disperse and arrest protesters, citing concerns for campus safety. However, civil rights groups have criticized these actions as excessive and detrimental to free speech.
The unrest on campuses has led several colleges and universities nationwide to reconsider, relocate, or altogether cancel their commencement ceremonies.
In a related incident, the University of Southern California canceled its main-stage ceremony after previously silencing a Muslim student’s valedictorian speech due to anti-Palestinian sentiments.
Columbia consulted with student leaders in determining the graduation arrangements. The majority of ceremonies, originally planned for the university’s upper Manhattan campus where protests occurred, will now be held at the main athletic complex approximately five miles away.
These demonstrations have become politically charged amidst a contentious U.S. election year, with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump vying for the White House.
Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Columbia’s administration for what he perceived as leniency towards demonstrators, reiterating his call for university President Nemat Minouche Shafik’s removal.
In a separate incident, New York City police cleared a Columbia building barricaded by pro-Palestinian protesters, resulting in numerous arrests and the dismantling of an encampment.
At the University of California, Los Angeles, clashes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups led to over 200 arrests, prompting Chancellor Gene Block to announce the establishment of a new Office of Campus Safety, to be led by former Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel.
