After several weeks of protests concerning the Israel-Hamas war, Columbia University chose to cancel the main commencement ceremony, according to The Wall Street Journal. Instead, the 2024 year's graduation will consist of smaller ceremonies.
The university cited safety concerns as the reason for this change. Initially, the main ceremony was set for May 15 outdoors on the New York City campus. It was to be held at a location where a pro-Palestinian encampment erected by students was recently dismantled by the police.
The individual schools within Columbia, such as nursing, journalism, and teaching, will now conduct their own smaller ceremonies indoors instead of outdoors. This move follows the University of Southern California's decision in late April to also cancel its main commencement ceremony due to similar concerns. The University of Southern California announced its cancellation in late April. Over 2,000 individuals involved in pro-Palestine demonstrations have been arrested across the U.S.,
as reported by NBC News . Columbia has been a prominent location for these college protests for an extended period.A week ago on Tuesday, the NYPD, wearing what was described at the time as “riot gear,” entered Hamilton Hall on the university's campus, where approximately 60 students had staged a sit-in for most of the day. During the protest, the students renamed the building to Hind’s Hall in memory of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli fire.The intensity and passion surrounding the protests even prompted
New York Magazine to involve students from Columbia Daily Spectator, the university’s independent student newspaper, in its cover story. A
post about the collaboration states, “On the morning of Wednesday, April 17, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was meant to address Congress regarding antisemitism on campus. However, in the early hours of the morning, pro-Palestinian students initiated plans to occupy the school’s South Lawn. The subsequent two weeks involved protests, counter-protests, the takeover of Hamilton Hall, and an NYPD crackdown authorized by Shafik herself, causing a stir within the Columbia community and amongst college campuses nationwide.” The University of Southern California had already decided to cancel its ceremony in late April due to similar concerns.
