The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles has canceled its graduation ceremony as anti-Israel protests spread over the Gaza war on college campuses across the United States.
USC cancels graduation ceremony, citing ‘new security measures’
According to the university’s website, “New security measures have been taken this year, such as an additional screening process. This security process for guests requires some time.
“As a result, we are not able to stage this main event on time in the presence of 65,000 people including students, their families and friends as usual on the university campus.” The event was scheduled to take place on May 10.
In addition to USC, various university campuses in the United States have recently been rocked by protests over Israel’s war in Gaza. Many teachers have also joined the protests with university students on the side of the Palestinians in the war in Gaza.
Police are deployed in universities to prevent protests. Police arrested hundreds of protesters from dozens of universities. Still the protest does not stop.
Last Wednesday, police arrested more than 90 people on the USC campus and ordered protesters to break up their makeshift camp there.
The University of Southern California (USC) canceled a speech by outgoing Muslim student Asana Tabassum at a ceremony last week to ‘protect the safety’ of the campus before announcing the cancellation of the graduation convocation.
The opposition of ‘Trojans for Israel’, a pro-Israeli group of the university, was behind such a decision. The party demanded Tabassum’s removal. They had previously accused Tabassum of espousing anti-Semitic views.
According to the BBC, 28 students were arrested on Thursday after refusing to leave the Emory University campus in Atlanta. Protesters had earmarked an area inside the campus to hold a sit-in this morning. The protestors clashed with the police as they were prevented from going there.
In some cases, the police used chemical substances to disperse the protestors. However, according to the police, they have taken this action in response to the bricks and stones thrown at the police by the protesters.
Atlanta police also reported chemical releases. However, they denied the reports of firing rubber bullets at the protesters.
