A Carleton University convocation ceremony was disrupted on June 11 when four protesters interrupted Carleton president Wisdom Tettey’s remarks.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators waited until students received their diplomas before shouting chants directed at Tettey.
In response, Tettey told the protesters they had been “heard” and said the graduation would pause to allow the students to “enjoy [their] moment.”
Reida Khatour, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine said students felt a need to protest because after a year of action, their calls have been disregarded.
“Students interrupted the president’s speech because they believed there should not be business as usual while a genocide is unfolding,” she said. “Nonviolent action like this is one of the best ways to push back against systems that depend on silence.”
The demonstration comes amid an ongoing campaign by pro-Palestinian student groups calling on Carleton to divest from companies they say are linked to human rights violations. Earlier this year, protesters marched across campus and confronted the university’s Board of Governors, alleging Carleton holds more than $34 million in investments tied to the war in Gaza.
The Charlatan has not been able to independently verify the university’s reported investments.
In a video posted on Instagram showcasing the demonstration, Carleton for Palestine wrote in the caption: “You can censor our voices, cut us out of livestreams, close the blinds and install soundproof window panels. We will continue fighting for a liberated Palestine.”
Protesters were escorted out while they chanted and held banners. Many people in the audience cheered and some left in solidarity with the demonstrators.
In a statement to the Charlatan, the university said the focus of the ceremony was to ensure graduates and their families could celebrate the occasion despite the disruption.
”We recognize that members of our community hold a wide range of views on global issues, on this important occasion, our focus is on ensuring they and their loved ones can fully mark this important event,” the university said.
Seventeen ceremonies were held at Carleton this year, and nearly 7,000 students crossed the stage during convocation week.
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