LA mayor on canceling USC graduation: ‘That was the decision they had to make’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) said University of Southern California (USC) officials needed to make a decision about graduation based on safety.

USC has canceled its main commencement ceremony amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests and the backlash the school received after voiding its valedictorian speech. Bass hedged on whether she agreed with the school’s decision to cancel the ceremony, but noted that other graduation events were still going on as planned.

“I believe this was a decision they had to make. They were expecting about 65,000 people on campus and they just didn’t think it would be safe,” Bass said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

She also added that students missing the main graduation ceremony are likely students who also missed high school graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Well, as you know, they didn’t cancel everything. Thus, the main graduation is canceled, but individual schools also have graduations. So there will be a lot of ceremonies going on, but like you said, I also share the idea that they missed graduation four years ago, but I hope their individual schools move forward peacefully,” Bass said.

USC is one of several schools across the country that have been involved in pro-Palestinian protests for days. Many students involved in the demonstrations call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Bass also condemned any use of hate speech amid the protests.

“I mean, as mayor, people have the right to free speech — but you know, hate speech, anti-Semitism, all of that. It’s just – it’s unacceptable. All students on campus need to feel safe,” she said.