Columbia University cancels graduation ceremony after weeks of Gaza protests

Columbia University on Monday cancelled its university-wide graduation ceremony in favour of smaller, school-based events after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled the university campus.

According to the news agency Reuters, the graduation ceremony, which was scheduled for May 15, has been cancelled due to the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests, which the university called “incredibly difficult for our community.”

“We have decided to make the centerpiece of our commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15,” Columbia University said in a statement as per Reuters.

The university said that it had consulted with student leaders in deciding how to handle graduation. The majority of the ceremonies, which had been set to take place on the Morningside Heights campus where most of the protests have taken place, will be moved to the university’s main athletic complex.

The pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University have been going on for a few days and have also triggered similar demonstrations at dozens of other universities around the US.

The protesters, on their part, have been demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military assistance for Israel, and university divestment from companies profiting from Israel’s incursion.

Earlier this week, the New York Police arrested several people on charges of burglary and trespassing, including at least 30 students, alumni, and Columbia employees, dismantling protest encampments that had garnered widespread attention.

Notably, Hamas led a cross-border attack on October 7 last year, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. After the attack, Israel launched its air and ground attack that has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials.