1 week ago
Last Updated: May 06, 2024, 18:49 IST
New York, United States of America (USA)
A sign that reads, Gaza Solidarity Encampment, is seen during the pro-Palestinian protest at the Columbia University campus in New York. (AP File Photo)
The Ivy League institution said it would "forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15" and hold a series of smaller events instead
Columbia, the prestigious university at the heart of US campus protests against the war in Gaza, announced Monday that it has canceled the main ceremony for graduating students next week. The Ivy League school in New York said it would “forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15” and hold a series of smaller events instead.
The protests at Columbia, which drew national attention, have inspired similar demonstrations at dozens of universities around the U.S. Students have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and have demanded their schools divest from companies with ties to Israel.
New York City police cleared a Columbia campus building last week that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian protesters, arresting more than 100 people and dismantling an encampment.
The school said on Monday it had consulted with student leaders in deciding how to handle graduation. The majority of the ceremonies, which had been set to take place on the Morningside Heights campus where most of the protests have taken place, will be moved to the university’s main athletic complex, the statement said.
(With agency inputs)
