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The University of Southern California has canceled its main graduation ceremony amid ongoing campus protests against the war in Gaza. The cancellation also follows controversy surrounding the university’s decision to prevent its pro-Palestine valedictorian from speaking during the commencement ceremony.
In a statement on Thursday, USC’s president, Carol Folt, cited security concerns as the reason for the cancellation, saying that newly implemented safety measures would increase the amount of time required to “accommodate” the 65,000 people expected to attend the graduation ceremony, which had been planned for May 10.
As commencement season approaches, hundreds of students across the country have been arrested for building encampments on campus to protest the Israel-Hamas war, with many calling on their schools to divest from institutions tied to Israel. On April 18, more than 100 people were arrested at Columbia University, while earlier this week 60 people were arrested at Yale and 120 at New York University. On Wednesday, 93 protesters were arrested at USC.
The cancellation of USC’s graduation also comes after the university said its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum — who is Muslim and of South Asian descent — wouldn’t be allowed to give a speech during graduation. Earlier this month, after pro-Israel groups, students, and alumni targeted Tabassum over her support of Palestine and accused her of trafficking in anti-Zionist rhetoric, the university told Tabassum that she wouldn’t be giving a speech. That decision, much like the decision to cancel the main graduation, was met with anger and frustration on campus. Layla MoheyEldin, a senior majoring in international relations and Middle East studies at USC, told the New York Times, “The cancellation of commencement? I think it’s cowardly.”
Related
- USC Won’t Let Pro-Palestine Valedictorian Speak at Graduation
- NYPD Arrests Pro-Palestinian Protesters at Columbia University: How It Happened
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Tariro Mzezewa , 2024-04-26 19:51:51
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