Pro-Palestine protesters disrupt UC commencement ceremony, call for ceasefire, divestment

Kiana Sezawar Keshavarz, Ayah Ali-Ahmad
May 11, 2024 (DailyCal.org)

gradwalkout_maxine eschger_ss.jpg — A student wears a cap with a list of children killed in Gaza, olive branches and a keffiyeh tied in a bow.Maxine Eschger | Senior Staff

Pro-Palestine protesters rallied at the UC Berkeley Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, denouncing the war in Gaza and calling for the university’s divestment from Israel.

The protest follows a surge of similar pro-Palestine demonstrations across college campuses as the academic year comes to a close.

The commencement, located inside California Stadium, began at 10:35 a.m. with speakers stating that participants may not “engage in ways that disrupts the event,” such as holding up banners and signs that may disrupt the event and shouting over speakers.

However, following a speech by Chancellor Carol Christ, who opened the ceremony acknowledging recent student protests on campus and the “terrible tragedy … in Gaza,” students raised Palestinian flags and held up signs calling for campus and UC divestment from companies with connections to Israel.

By 11:20 a.m., about 50 protesters moved to an empty section of the stadium benches while chanting “ceasefire now” until eventually gaining enough participants to occupy the entire section.

“The fact that we haven’t made a statement about Palestine has been really disappointing,” said one protester, who had not previously planned on participating in the demonstration. “We personally feel like the administration should be more clear about what is happening, and the fact that we should be able to protest.”

Some commencement speeches acknowledged the interruption, with one requesting students’ “respect” for the speakers.

In a statement over email, campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof noted while the commencement was “at times, disrupted,” the ceremony was still able to honor the “hard work and accomplishments of our students.”

Around 11:45 a.m., students began exiting the student section and gathered outside the stadium entrance in a walkout, joining a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators situated outside Gate 4, the most high-traffic exit of California Stadium.

By noon, the rally accumulated more than 100 protesters waving flags and signs, and protesters continued to march down Bancroft Avenue, convening at the “Free Palestine Encampment” on Sproul Plaza.

Contact Kiana Sezawar Keshavarz and Ayah Ali-Ahmad at newsdesk@dailycal.org.