Hundreds of Harvard University graduates walked out of commencement on Thursday after the school announced that 13 students who participated in recent pro-Palestinian protests on campus would not be allowed to receive their diplomas with other students.
Groups of graduates walked out chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “Let them walk, let them walk” in reference to the students prevented from walking at the ceremony, the Associated Press reported.
A total of more than 1,000 students participated in the walkout, according to protest groups at the school.
Harvard’s governing board determined that the 13 students in question were not in “good standing” after they violated university policies through their involvement in the recent campus protest camp, Harvard Corp. said. said in a written statement.
“In reaching this determination, we note that the express provisions of the Harvard College Student Handbook state that students who are not in good standing are not eligible to earn degrees,” according to the statement. “We understand that the inability to graduate has consequences for students and their families.”
Student speaker Shruthi Kumar addressed the decision during Thursday’s ceremony, telling her fellow graduates, “This semester, our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity have become punishable,” according to the AP. Kumar said she felt she had to recognize the 13 undergraduate students who were unable to receive their diplomas, adding that she is “deeply disappointed by the intolerance of free speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus.”
More than 1,500 students submitted petitions and nearly 500 staff and faculty spoke out about Harvard’s decision, Kumar said.
“This is about civil rights and defending democratic principles,” she said. “The students spoke. The faculty had spoken. Harvard, can you hear us?
Harvard was one of several college campuses in the US that were recently roiled by weeks-long pro-Palestinian protests. The camps and other demonstrations called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Harvard Corp.’s Wednesday statement. suggested the possibility of an appeals process for students, noting that it supports the College of Arts and Sciences’ intent to provide expedited review of appeal requests.
“We care deeply about each member of our community – students, faculty, staff, researchers and alumni – and have chosen a path forward that is in line with our responsibilities and reaffirms a process for our students to receive rapid and fair”, according to the statement.
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