Atypical college experience wraps up for the class of 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters and graduates of the class of 2024 chant and interrupt their UC Berkeley’s graduation ceremony when Chancellor Carol Christ began to spoke at the California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, May 11, 2024. UC Berkeley’s graduation on Saturday was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters — beginning with a small group rising in the bleachers in the student section and ending with hundreds of students occupying an entire section at Memorial Stadium.
The protest began during Chancellor Carol Christ’s welcome address when a few dozen protesters stood, waving Palestinian flags and leading chants of “Hey Hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go.” As protesters walked down the aisles past the crowds, they were met with some jeers from audience members.“I am from Gaza,” she responded.To the backdrop of chants and stomping, the graduation program continued as planned. The 6,700 students graduating this year did not walk across the stage, as they often have in past years.
Graduation meant different things to different people. For BJ Guinn, it was the culmination of a 17-year journey: He began at Cal in 2007 as a student athlete on the baseball team and played for three years until he was recruited by the San Diego Padres. He played baseball professionally before coming back to Cal in 2018, taking on a full class load while also working as an assistant coach for the baseball team.
“At a school as big as Berkeley, your community is your rock in an ocean full of people,” she said. “These are friends I know I’ll have the rest of my life.” A lone Israel flag is hold up by a graduate as pro-Palestinian protesters and graduates of the class of 2024 chant and interrupt their UC Berkeley’s graduation ceremony when Chancellor Carol Christ began to spoke at the California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ addresses to the graduates of the Class of 2024 as pro-Palestinian graduates chant and interrupt their graduation ceremony at the California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
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