Columbia University Cancels Main Graduation Due to Protests
There will be no main graduation ceremony at Columbia University after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests, but smaller ceremonies will be held. School officials made the announcement Monday, according to the Associated…

There will be no main Graduation ceremony at Columbia University after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests, but smaller ceremonies will be held.
School officials made the announcement Monday, according to the Associated Press.
“Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level Graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, and to forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15,” officials said in a statement.
Students favor the smaller ceremonies.
“Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,” officials said. “They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their school’s invited guest speakers.”
Most of the ceremonies that would’ve taken place in the south lawn of the main campus — where encampments were taken down last week — will take place at Columbia’s sports complex, officials said.
In-person classes at Columbia have been canceled.
More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters who were part of the encampment or who occupied a university building, were arrested.



