ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – During the recent graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan, amidst a crowd of tens of thousands, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters voiced their opposition to the Israel-Hamas conflict. About 75 protesters marched through the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor chanting anti-war slogans and waving Palestinian flags, eliciting a mixed reaction of boos and cheers from the audience.

Among the crowd of robe-clad demonstrators were individuals shouting slogans like “Palestine will live forever” and “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.”

Online videos document protests.

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Several online videos documented the protests alongside scenes of jubilation among graduates, interspersed with profanity-laden reactions and appeals for calm from other attendees.

Banners waved by the protesters held messages such as “No universities left in Gaza,” “Israel bombs, UMich pays!” And “How many kinds have you killed today?”

Class of 2024 has had it rough the last four years.

Graduate Jacob Johnson told WDIV Local 4 in Detroit, “I can’t even hear what’s going on with the graduation with this going. A lot of these people their senior year of high school was during Covid, so they already had that ruined and then now you have this going on too. It’s like ‘give these people a break.’”

A plane flying overhead carried messages advocating for a free Palestine and urging divestment from Israel. However, another plane was also seen supporting Israel with a banner that read, “We stand with Israel. Jewish lives matter.”

No arrests and no removal of protesters.

Despite the disruption caused by the protestors, many donning traditional Arabic keffiyeh alongside their graduation attire, no arrests were made and the event proceeded without major incident over its nearly two-hour duration.

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During the event, multiple warnings were put up on a screen on-stage asking the protesters to stop disrupting the ceremony. However, despite threatening to remove them, according to university spokesperson Colleen Mastony, that didn’t happen.

Mastony said in a statement, “University of Michigan celebrated the achievements of 8,500 undergraduates and 6,622 graduate and PhD students before a crowd of 62,000 well wishers at the commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium Saturday. The mood was joyous and the ceremony unfolded successfully and was completed without interruption.”

She went on to say, “Approximately 75 protesters staged a small demonstration at the beginning of the program, walking up the main aisle and chanting, before public safety personnel escorted them to the rear of the stadium, where they remained through the conclusion of the event. There were no

arrests. Peaceful protests like this have taken place at U-M commencement ceremonies for decades. The university supports free speech and expression, and university leaders are pleased that today’s commencement was such a proud and triumphant moment, worthy of the achievements of our extraordinary graduates.”

Protesters amass while U.S. Navy Secretary is addressing ROTC grads.

The protesters had gathered in the stadium while U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro was addressing ROTC graduates. He told the audience, “It is indeed these young men and women who will protect the freedoms that we so cherish as Americans in our Constitution of the United States, which includes the right to protest peacefully.”

As graduates took their oath and pledged their commitment to serve in the armed forces, the secretary’s words resonated throughout the ceremony, emphasizing a responsibility to protect the fundamental freedoms crucial to American society.

Another protest on Friday at School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Saturday’s demonstration followed a similar protest the previous day at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance commencement, which was swiftly dispersed by law enforcement. At this ceremony, in response to the protesters, some members of the audience broke into a “USA!” chant.

Violent clash between protesters and police at museum on Friday.

Also on Friday was a violent clash between police and about 200 protesters who were outside of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. The incident happened around 9 pm after individuals had gathered inside for a dinner and celebration to recognize students who were receiving honorary degrees. Reports say that police had to use handcuffs and pepper spray to control the crowd. There was at least one arrest during the incident.

The University of Michigan Police Department, UM Division of Public Safety and Security, Ann Arbor Police, Michigan State Police, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office all arrived to address the demonstration at the museum.

The TAHRIR Coalition was on hand to record the incident at the museum saying on X that the protesters were “violently” pushed back. They also asked Santa Ono and other U-M officials, “Are you proud of doing this instead of having a single meeting?”

Pro-palestinian encampment has been allowed to continue.

The University of Michigan has permitted protestors to establish an encampment on campus since April 22nd. The encampment, overseen by the TAHRIR Coalition, is a group of over 80 organizations, among them the university chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality.

While the encampment itself has remained a reportedly peaceful insurrection of the school, the recent weekend protests show that the disruption to the community and the methods of the protesters in the Ann Arbor area could be escalating as they have across the rest of the country.

According to the Associated Press, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have unfolded at campuses nationwide with over 2,400 individuals arrested across 47 institutions.