From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Students walk out of Duke University commencement ceremony to protest guest speaker Jerry Seinfeld
Dozens of students walk out of Duke University’s commencement ceremony to protest its guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, for supporting Israel throughout the war in Gaza, according to videos of the event posted on social media.
Some students can be heard booing and chanting “free Palestine” while others shout “Jerry! Jerry!” as the Jewish actor receives an honorary degree and delivers his speech without major interruptions.
Duke invited a Jewish speaker to graduation and Pro-H@mas graduates walked out. The speaker? Jerry Seinfeld.
pic.twitter.com/5p3YWl1b2V— @amuse (@amuse) May 12, 2024
Seinfeld visited Israel and has vocally supported it since October 7, when some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 252 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
The walkout is the latest manifestation of anti-Israel protests that have roiled US campuses as students call for universities to divest from arms suppliers and other companies doing business with Israel, and amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
