In blow to 2024 graduates, Columbia axes main commencement after protests

On Monday, May 6, Columbia University in New York City announced it is canceling the universitywide commencement ceremony due to security concerns over pro-Palestinian protests. Instead, small, school-based ceremonies will be held.

The decision comes after weeks of demonstrations that disrupted campus life. Students had set up encampments on the campus grounds, which were cleared by police the week of April 29.

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The protests stem from Israel’s war in Gaza, which started in October 2023 in response to an attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel. The attack by Hamas militants left 1,200 dead and terrorists took more than 200 Israelis hostage. During Israel’s offensive in Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said around 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds of thousands are displaced.

Security concerns were cited as one of the main reasons for canceling the ceremony. Columbia University officials said that students preferred small, more intimate ceremonies where they could be honored individually alongside their peers.

Graduation ceremonies for various schools within the university will now take places at different times and locations throughout the coming weeks. The original commencement was scheduled for May 15.

The decision at Columbia University follows a similar move by the University of Southern California, which canceled its main commencement on April 25.

Protests have not been limited to Columbia’s campus. Similar demonstrations have occurred at universities across the country, raising concerns among officials about their own commencement ceremonies.