Scores of Virginia Commonwealth University students staged a walkout during their graduation ceremony on Saturday, partly in response to remarks made by a speaker, State Governor Glenn Youngkin, regarding campus protests.
This occurs as school officials across the US prepare for potential disruptions of commencement ceremonies amid protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Numerous colleges, which have been rocked by protests, are holding graduation events this weekend.
Since mid-April, over 2,000 individuals have been arrested in connection with the protests.
Social media posts on Saturday depicted Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) students clad in caps and gowns exiting the venue as Governor Glenn Youngkin began his commencement speech.
Criticism arose among students regarding Mr. Youngkin’s selection as the speaker for that year’s event, citing his opposition to VCU’s proposed racial literacy requirement and his stance against allowing encampments on college campuses.
Online videos depict VCU protesters chanting “disclose, divest – we will not stop we will not rest.”
Across the US, many student protesters are advocating for their schools, some of which possess substantial endowments, to sever financial ties with Israel.
According to Sereen Haddad, a second-year VCU student involved in organizing the protest, applause drowned out Mr. Youngkin’s speech to the extent that some audience members couldn’t hear him speak.
Ms. Haddad stated that around 150 individuals, including protesting students who walked out, participated in a march outside the ceremony.
Thirteen people, including six students, were arrested at VCU when the encampment there was cleared by police on 29 April.
Mr Youngkin’s speech went on as planned despite the walk-out. He later posted a message on social media congratulating graduates and did not comment on the protest.
At another commencement on Saturday, the University of California Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ opened the ceremony by acknowledging the weeks of demonstrations from protesters.
“I’m saddened by how this conflict has divided students, faculty and staff,” she said, according to the LA Times.
The remarks drew some applause as well as chants of: “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go”.
Some 20 students stood up and began waving signs, Palestinian flags and chanting, “Free Palestine” as during another speech, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, and they were later joined in chants by more graduates.
In a statement, UC Berkeley said that the event continued despite being “unfortunately disrupted” and that protesters who left the ceremony did so voluntarily. No one was arrested.
The protest came a day after eight students wore shirts spelling out “UC divest” during the law school graduation ceremony.
In the past month, the BBC has counted more than 130 US colleges and universities with protests against the ongoing war in Gaza.