In a powerful display of solidarity with Palestine, hundreds of Harvard students donned their graduation robes and walked out of their commencement ceremony on Thursday. The walkout was in support of the 13 students who were barred from the ceremony due to their involvement in protest encampments.

As the commencement ceremony commenced, graduating students from the prestigious Ivy League school stood up and chanted "Free, free Palestine," while others shouted, "Let them walk" in reference to their fellow classmates who were denied the opportunity to receive their diplomas. The walkout was met with cheers and applause from other graduates.

During her student address, senior Shruthi Kumar used the moment to highlight the suppression of freedom of speech and expressions of solidarity on campus. She acknowledged the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 who were not allowed to graduate alongside their peers, expressing deep disappointment at the intolerance for civil disobedience.

Kumar revealed that over 1,500 students had petitioned, and nearly 500 staff and faculty members had voiced their concerns about the sanctions imposed on the students. She emphasized that this was a matter of civil rights and upholding democratic principles, calling upon Harvard to listen to the collective voice of the students and faculty.

The commencement ceremony also featured Maria Ressa, a journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as the keynote speaker. Ressa emphasized the importance of protests in giving voice to the oppressed, asserting that they should not be silenced.

The graduation ceremony unfolded in Harvard Yard, the historic heart of the university, where a pro-Gaza protest encampment had been established a month ago. The encampment was disbanded on May 14th after the university announced an agreement with the protestors.

Earlier in the week, the faculty had reinstated the 13 students on the list of those eligible to graduate. However, Harvard's governing board later overruled this decision, deeming the students to have violated university policies during their participation in the encampment protest. The board declared that the students were "not in good standing," making them ineligible for graduation at this time.

Despite the disappointment and frustration, the protesting students made their voices heard by walking out of the ceremony and reconvening at a nearby Methodist church for a "people's commencement." There, they paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in Gaza.

The walkout was accompanied by a variety of demonstrations, including an audience member holding up an Israeli flag and several people waving Palestinian flags. A small plane flew overhead trailing Israeli and US flags, while a truck parked outside the campus displayed a billboard labeling some pro-Palestinian protestors as "Harvard's Leading Antisemites."

These protests at Harvard are part of a broader wave of demonstrations and encampments taking place on college campuses across the United States since the 7th of October Hamas attacks on Israel, which claimed the lives of 1,200 people. The ensuing Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 Palestinians, according to the latest figures. The protests have also led to approximately 3,000 arrests at universities across the country.

The walkout at Harvard sends a strong message about the importance of freedom of speech, civil rights, and standing in solidarity with oppressed communities.