CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) – Hundreds of Harvard graduates walked out of the university’s commencement ceremony Thursday, sending a defiant message after weeks of protests and a decision by the Harvard Corporation not to give degrees to 13 seniors who participated in the recent pro-Palestinian encampment in Harvard Yard.
Commencement participants gathered early Thursday morning and formal ceremonies began near 9:30 a.m. The walkout happened near 11 a.m. while Interim President Alan Garber was conferring degrees.
Once they took to the streets, graduating students in caps and gowns held signs and Palestinian flags and chanted.
“Multiple speakers came up for speeches and brought up how unfair it is that the university decided the day before to prohibit graduating seniors from graduating,” said Harvard graduate Noah Sepharia while participating in the walkout. “It was a corporation decision, not a faculty decision, and that was expressed. Now we have this huge crowd walking out because we support a ceasefire and a free Palestine.”
Students made their way down Massachusetts Avenue to the Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, effectively shutting down Massachusetts Avenue.
Students were later seen leaving the church around 12 p.m. They were met with pro-Israel demonstrators who also held signs and flags and chanted.
Protesters had disbursed by 12:30 p.m.
Harvard interim president addresses possible commencement protests in opening remarks
As students, family members, friends and faculty filtered onto the Harvard campus Thursday morning, protesters gathered.
Some held pro-Palestinian signs. Another group held a sign reading “Harvard against antisemitism.” Overhead, a plane towed a sign that said “Jewish lives matter.”
As commencement got underway, Garber congratulated graduates and addressed the possibility of protests.
“As our ceremony proceeds, some among us may choose to take the liberty of expressing themselves to draw attention to…