A lot of students left Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement speech at Duke University on Sunday, just as he was about to give it.
People from North Carolina left the stadium in videos shared on social media to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, as Duke President Vincent Price introduced the comic.
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There were boos from some students as they waved Palestinian flags and cheered “Jerry! Jerry!”
After the Hamas attack on October 7, Seinfeld spoke out in support of Israel. In December, he visited a kibbutz to meet with the families of prisoners. A story in The New York Times said that he has been “uncharacteristically vocal” about his support for his new movie, Unfrosted, during press calls.
When the comedian gave his speech, he mostly avoided talking about the problem that was at the heart of the protests. He was receiving an honorary degree from Duke. He stated that he was Jewish at one point, which got cheers from the crowd.
He stated, “I grew up as a Jewish boy from New York.” “If you want to be a comedian, that’s a perk.”
Supporters of Gaza shouted outside of Duke’s stadium on the Durham campus: “Disclose, divest; we will not stop; we will not rest.”
Small pro-Palestinian protests happened all over the country this weekend, at the same time that college commencement events took place from North Carolina to California.
Demonstrators supporting Gaza splattered red paint on the steps of a building hours before the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s commencement ceremony. They chanted on campus while students in light blue graduation gowns posed for pictures, according to the News & Observer.
WRIC-TV reports that about 100 students and family members left Virginia Commonwealth University’s event during Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s speech to show support for Palestinians. Other people held signs against his education policies.
Even though Gov. Youngkin got an honorary doctorate at graduation, he didn’t seem to talk to the students who were leaving the event.
During his speech, he said, “The world needs your music.” “All of you will be the symphony.” Make it a work of art.
A small group of protesters held what appeared to be a peaceful protest at Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Wisconsin State Journal shared a picture of about six people walking through the back of the stadium. Two of them were carrying a Palestinian flag.
A school police spokesman, Marc Lovicott, said that the group, which was thought to be students since they were wearing caps and gowns, “was kind of guided out, but they left on their own.” No one was caught.
Pro-Palestinian protesters on that campus agreed on Friday to take down their two-week-old camp for good and not get in the way of graduation events in exchange for a chance to meet with “decision-makers” who decide how the university spends its money by July 1. The university made a decision to provide even more assistance to scholars and students impacted by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
A student at the University of Texas, Austin, held up a Palestinian flag during a commencement event and refused to leave the stage for a short time. Security then led the student off the stage.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that at the University of California, Berkeley, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters waved flags and chanted during graduation. Other protesters joined them as they marched to the back of the stadium. There weren’t any big counterprotests, but some people who were there were angry.
Annie Ramos, whose daughter is a student, said, “I feel like they’re ruining it for those of us who bought tickets and came to show our pride for our graduates.” “This is not the right time or place.”
Police broke down pro-Gaza protest camps at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday, arresting dozens of people. Saturday’s events were not as exciting as those on other campuses. A few hours before, cops had used tear gas on protesters and broken up a similar camp at the University of Arizona.
The Associated Press has recorded at least 75 arrests at US college protests since April 18. Nearly 2,900 people have faced detention at 57 colleges and universities.
