On Saturday, pro-Palestinian protests disrupted college commencement ceremonies across the United States, from Berkeley to Chapel Hill. The protests, which have been occurring since mid-April, stem from students at Columbia University establishing an encampment to urge the school to sever financial ties with Israel due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Similar encampments and demonstrations have spread to numerous schools across the country, including UCLA, Princeton, and the University of Texas at Austin. These protests have often escalated into clashes with law enforcement officers, sparking debates about how school leaders should respond to the situation while upholding free speech rights.

According to the Washington Post, over 2,800 arrests have been made at campuses nationwide in connection with these protests. The increasing number of demonstrations has caused concern among several colleges, leading them to cancel their main commencement events. Columbia University, the University of Southern California, and California State Polytechnic University Humboldt are among the institutions that made this decision, anticipating continued protests and potential disruptions.

Other colleges, such as Pomona and Emory University, have relocated their commencement ceremonies off campus in order to avoid any further disturbances. However, several upcoming ceremonies at schools that have experienced protests are still scheduled to take place, including those at Pomona College and Emerson College.

As tensions and protests continue to persist in college campuses across the country, the debate surrounding free speech and the response from school officials remains at the forefront. It remains to be seen how these demonstrations will impact the landscape of higher education and the ongoing dialogue surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In the coming days, graduates, families, and faculty members will be eagerly watching to see how these protests will affect the final celebratory moments of the academic year at these universities.