Israel's military operations in Gaza continue to trigger waves of demonstrations on American college campuses. The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles has canceled a main graduation ceremony originally scheduled for May 10, citing safety concerns.
A statement from the school said it was "unable to hold the major ceremony that traditionally draws 65,000 students, family and friends to campus."
On Wednesday (April 24) local time, hundreds of students protested on campus. Police entered the campus and arrested at least 93 people, charging them with trespassing and ordering the dismantling of an encampment.
The school announced earlier this month that Muslim student Asna Tabassum would not be valedictorian due to an unspecified security threat.
Valedictorians are selected for their outstanding academic performance and active participation in campus life.
Pro-Israel groups and Jewish groups opposed Tabassum's role as valedictorian, saying she posted a link to a website on Instagram that spread anti-Semitism.
USC Academic Dean Andrew Guzman said the decision had "nothing to do with free speech," citing security concerns and "ongoing conflicts in the Middle East."
Muslim and pro-Palestinian students rejected the school's claims about safety and said USC administrators gave in to pressure from pro-Israel groups.
Protests sweep many American universities In addition to the University of Southern California, demonstrations continue to take place at universities in many places across the United States.
New York police arrested more than 100 students Thursday as they raided pro-Palestinian protests on the Columbia University campus.
At Emory University in Atlanta, 28 demonstrators were arrested after refusing to leave. Local police confirmed that they had used tear gas but denied firing rubber bullets at demonstrators.
The latest wave of campus demonstrations began when Columbia University administrators allowed police to enter the campus to clear the grounds, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 people. Demonstrators called on universities to "divest money from genocide" and stop investing their large endowments in companies involved in weapons manufacturing and other industries that support Israel's war in Gaza.
