Pro-Palestinian protesters were removed from the University of Michigan’s commencement ceremony after briefly disrupting proceedings on Saturday.
No one was arrested, according to Melissa Overton, the university’s deputy police chief and public information officer.
Carlos del Toro, the 78th US Secretary of the Navy, was addressing the crowd at the time of the disruption and stressed the importance of the right to protest peacefully.
Del Toro said, “I am extremely proud to be a Cuban-American who came to this country as an immigrant and who has put on a uniform to protest peacefully in this country to again defend the freedom of all Americans. “Decided to serve for 26 years.”
The protesters were removed after some time.
Early photos show planes also flew banners with opposing messages during the ceremony. One wrote, “Divest from Israel,” while another said, “Stand with Israel.”
Some context: beginning The University of Michigan has ongoing events hosting different ceremonies with featured speakers. Saturday’s massive event at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor was the spring graduation ceremony for the entire university.
There will be designated areas for protests outside ceremony sites throughout the weekend, the University of Michigan said on its website, adding that all early events will include security checks, a ban on banners and flags, and will be monitored by volunteers who will “immediately respond to disruptions.” Will give, starting with warnings.”
A function for the university’s School of Music, Theater and Dance remained disrupted on Friday also,
This post has been updated to reflect information from the University Police Department.