CHICAGO (AP) — Dozens of students protesting the war in Gaza walked out of the University of Chicago’s commencement Saturday as the school withheld the diplomas of four seniors over their involvement with a pro-Palestinian encampment.
The disruption to the rainy two-hour outdoor ceremony was brief, with shouts, boos and calls to “Stop Genocide.” A crowd of students walked out in between speeches. Some chanted as they held Palestinian flags while others donned traditional keffiyeh, black and white checkered scarves that represent Palestinian solidarity, over their robes.
Four graduating seniors, including Youssef Haweh, were informed by email in recent days that their degrees would be withheld pending a disciplinary process related to complaints about the encampment, according to student group UChicago United for Palestine.
“My diploma doesn’t matter when there are people in Palestine and in Gaza that will never walk a stage again, who will never receive a diploma. What about them? Who’s going to fight for them?” Haweh said in a Saturday statement.
Students have walked out of commencements at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others as protest camps have sprung up across the U.S. and in Europe in recent weeks. Students have demanded their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support its war in Gaza. Organizers seek to amplify calls to end Israel’s war with Hamas, which they describe as a genocide against the Palestinians.
The University of Chicago encampment was cleared May 7. Administrators had initially adopted a permissive approach, but later said the protest had crossed a line and caused growing concerns about safety. One group temporarily took over a building on the school’s campus.
University officials, who did not return a message Saturday, have said the demonstrations prompted formal complaints including for “disruptive conduct,” and would require further review. The students were still able to participate in graduation, and can receive their degrees if they are later cleared after the university inquiry into alleged violations of campus policy.
Thousands of students and faculty members have signed a petition calling for the university to grant the degrees, while more than a dozen Chicago City Council members have penned a letter asking for the same.
2025-04-19 22:34397 view
2025-04-19 22:302939 view
2025-04-19 21:35210 view
2025-04-19 21:26219 view
2025-04-19 20:591194 view
2025-04-19 19:531262 view
Elon Musk’s strained relationship with his daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson continues to play out on the
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Zahra el-Gerbi wasn’t expecting much of a response to her online fundraiser, b
NEW YORK (AP) — Yelling that the future and their lives depend on ending fossil fuels, tens of thous