Pro-Palestine demonstration interrupts University of Michigan commencement

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan temporarily suspended spring graduation ceremonies Saturday.

Videos of students wearing caps, gowns and keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, went viral during the ceremony in Ann Arbor.

“Disclose, sell, we don’t stop, we don’t rest.” they chanted.

“Regent, Regent, you can’t hide! You’re funding genocide!” they said, according to New York Times.

A member of the audience was heard yelling back at the protesters, “You guys are ruining our graduation!”

Planes flew overhead, holding messages that read “Liberate Palestine” and “Withdraw from Israel now.” Another plane circled an area marked with “We support Israel.” Jewish lives matter. ”

The Hill reached out to the University of Michigan for comment, but a spokesperson told the Times that the school trains volunteers on how to “manage disruptions,” such as asking someone to move a sign or stop a disturbance. He said he did.

The university’s goal is to “support successful celebrations,” she said.

The demonstration follows weeks of nationwide campus protests by students demanding that universities divest from Israeli companies and companies that supply weapons to Israel.

The protests have left school administrators struggling with how to balance First Amendment rights with campus safety. Several protests are affecting the remainder of the school year.

Columbia University, where the protests began, moved to a hybrid learning style for the rest of the year, and the University of Southern California canceled its first-year graduation ceremony.

Some universities plan to set up designated areas for students to protest, allowing celebrations to continue without suppressing speech, the paper said.

Protests on university campuses have been largely peaceful, but culminated this week with police entering many campuses to disperse demonstrators. Pro-Palestinian protesters are encountering increasing numbers of counter-demonstrators.