From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Police disperse anti-Israel protesters after they interrupt University of Michigan commencement
The commencement ceremony at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance is interrupted by an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protest, amid a wave of demonstrations against the war in Gaza on campuses across the United States.
Video posted on social media shows a small group of masked students, some in hijabs, enter the theatre and walk through the audience holding Palestinian flags and signs reading “UM funds genocide” and “ACAB,” an anti-police slogans that stands for “all cops are bastards.”
I was attending the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance commencement Friday when a pro-Palestinian protest broke out.
The protest lasted a few minutes before police arrived and the protestors left. pic.twitter.com/OuTCdthfUq
— Thad Green (@thadgreen) May 3, 2024
Some cheering can be heard from the crowd, while one man in the audience stands and shouts “get out!”
The university screens a series of warnings on a large screen on the stage asking the protesters to leave, as the crowd breaks into a “USA, USA, USA” chant.
The first warning reads, “We respectfully ask for silence. The University of Michigan recognizes the right of dissent, but we also recognize the right of speakers to be heard.”
In response to Palestinian protesters disrupting a graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan, the audience broke out into a “USA!” chant ????????pic.twitter.com/iDkNYtnlxA
— Marina Medvin ???????? (@MarinaMedvin) May 4, 2024
Police enter the hall as the third warning is screened, reading, “The disruption has continued despite two warnings. In an effort to continue the event, disruptors will now be escorted out.”
Witnesses on social media say the interruption lasted a few minutes.
Recent weeks have seen chaotic scenes at anti-Israel rallies, encampments and building seizures on 44 university campuses across the nation, with 2,300-plus arrests since April 17.
University administrators, who have tried to balance the right to protest and complaints of violence and hate speech, have increasingly called on police to clear out the demonstrators ahead of year-end exams and graduation ceremonies.
While some universities have made agreements with anti-Israel protesters, fending off possible disruptions, others have canceled speakers and even live events, or moved classes online amid concerns for student safety on campus.
The students are calling for academic institutions to divest from Israel over its ongoing war on Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terror group’s October 7 massacre, which saw thousands of terrorists burst across the border, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Agencies contributed to this report.
