Group of students protest against Israel during U of Michigan’s commencement

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate during the University of Michigan's commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 4, 2024. (Jacob Hamilton/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate during the University of Michigan's commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 4, 2024. (Jacob Hamilton/Ann Arbor News via AP)

Protesters call to divest from Israel and wave Palestinian flags during the University of Michigan’s commencement, as student demonstrations against the Jewish state over its war with Hamas collide with the annual pomp-and-circumstance of graduation ceremonies.

No arrests are reported and the protest — comprised of about 50 people, many wearing traditional Arabic keffiyeh along with their graduation caps — doesn’t seriously interrupt the nearly two-hour event at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, which is attended by tens of thousands of people.

One protest banner reads: “No universities left in Gaza.”

During the ceremony, planes fly overheard carrying competing banners, one of which says, “divest from Israel now. Free Palestine.”

The other reads, “We stand with Israel. Jewish lives matter.”

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