Duke University graduates stage walkout before Jerry Seinfeld's commencement speech. Protest marks dissenting voices
Dozens
of students walked out of Duke University's commencement ceremony on Sunday as
actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld was about to give his address, according to
videos posted on social media.
In
a video posted on X, people were seen waving Palestinian flags and filing out
of the crowd of graduates at the North Carolina university's football stadium.
Duke
University President Vincent Price's introduction to Seinfeld was drowned out
by some people chanting "free Palestine," while others shouted
"Jerry! Jerry!"
The
70-year-old Seinfeld, who has supported Israel since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas
militants, recently sparked controversy over his comments on what remains
acceptable fodder for comedy today.
On
Sunday, he received an honorary degree from Duke and delivered the commencement
address without major interruptions, a livestream of the ceremony showed. The
livestream did not show the students walking out.
His
speech largely steered clear of politics and instead focused on jokes about the
students, artificial intelligence and privilege.
"A
lot of you are thinking, 'I can't believe they invited this guy.' Too
late," he said, after vowing to "defend" the concept of
privilege.
"I
say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a
privilege if you want to be a comedian," he added.
As
Seinfeld spoke, the departed graduates chanted, "Disclose, divest, we will
not stop, we will not rest" from the parking lot, The New York Times
reported.
The
actor has not commented publicly on the walkout.
In
a statement to CBS News, Frank Tramble, vice president for marketing,
communications and public affairs at Duke, said: "We're excited and
delighted for the Class of 2024 and their families. We understand the depth of
feeling in our community, and as we have all year, we respect the right of
everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully, without preventing
graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement."
The
demonstration by students is the latest manifestation of protests that have
roiled U.S. campuses for several weeks as students call for universities to
divest from arms suppliers and other companies fueling and profiting from the
war.
The
protests prompted universities such as Columbia and the University of Southern
California to cancel or restructure their main graduation ceremonies.
At
the University of Michigan, students briefly interrupted the ceremony earlier
this month.
"Peaceful
protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for
decades," university spokesperson Colleen Mastony said after the ceremony.
This
week, Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Vermont rescinded a
commencement invitation to United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
because of student outcry over the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Administrators
at both universities cited pressure from students and the community over the
Biden administration's support for Israel in its war with Hamas.
At
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a small group of demonstrators staged what
appeared to be a silent protest during commencement at Camp Randall Stadium on
Saturday. A photo posted by the Wisconsin State Journal showed about six people
walking through the rear of the stadium, with two carrying a Palestinian flag.
Marc
Lovicott, a spokesperson for campus police, said the group, which he believed
were students because they were wearing caps and gowns, "was kind of
guided out but they left on their own." No arrests were made.
Dozens
of graduating students at Virginia Commonwealth University walked out on an
address by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. While some of the estimated 100 students and
family members who left during the Republican governor's speech showed support
for Palestinians, others held signs signaling opposition to Youngkin's policies
on education, according to WRIC-TV.
At
the University of Texas, Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag during a
commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage briefly before being
escorted away by security.
And
at the University of California, Berkeley, a small group of pro-Palestinian
demonstrators began waving flags and chanting during commencement and were
escorted to the back of the stadium, where they were joined by others,
according to the San Francisco Chronicle. There were no major counterprotests,
but some attendees voiced frustration.
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