Greater than 1,000 college students left the commencement ceremony chanting “Free Palestine” slogans after the Harvard administration introduced it could not award diplomas to 13 college students who had beforehand participated in demonstrations in help of Palestine.
Shruthi Kumar, one of many organizers of the protesting college students, mentioned in her assertion to the AP that these 13 college students ought to be among the many 2024 graduates and mentioned, “Right now, our freedom feeling and our loyalty has been punished.” mentioned.
Stating that greater than 1,500 college students and practically 500 college professors and employees collected signatures in order that these 13 college students may obtain their diplomas, Kumar mentioned they have been broken- excessive expectations with the intolerance of the varsity administration concerning freedom of expression and the proper to civil disobedience. habitats.
[Reuters]
“We hope our buddies will maintain the libertarian legacy of the Gaza solidarity camp alive.”
Asmer Asrar Safi, one of many 13 college students who have been prevented from receiving a diploma, mentioned that this punishment confirmed how far the varsity would go in harassing college students to get the donors. satisfaction
“Though we won’t return to this faculty, we hope that our buddies will maintain the libertarian legacy of the Gaza solidarity camp alive and we’ll do much more to chop off the varsity’s investments linked to Israeli corporations,” Safi mentioned.
Harvard’s Board of Trustees mentioned the 13 college students violated college insurance policies with their habits at demonstrations of solidarity for Palestine, so that they introduced that their diplomas wouldn’t be awarded.
Through the commencement ceremony, it ought to be famous {that a} small airplane flying the Israel-US flag was circling the world. Outdoors the campus, a truck was seen with a digital display with a banner studying “Harvard’s Outstanding Anti-Semites” exhibiting the names and footage of among the anti-Palestinian college students.