George Washington University students protest during graduation ceremony (includes video story)

This past Sunday at 10:45 a.m., George Washington University students were on their way to graduate at the Washington monument.

But some were concerned their graduation would be interrupted by Gaza protests, even though the university had prohibited some items and designated a spot near the ceremony where protesters could exercise their First Amendment rights.

The graduation started peacefully. But as it progressed, students started holding up painted signs and chanting in support of Palestine, interrupting University President Ellen Granberg’s speech. Hundreds of students ended up walking out during the speech.

Despite the protests, graduates still celebrated — a particularly poignant milestone since most of them had no high school graduation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cassandra Alonso

Cassandra Alonso is a senior TV and multimedia production student at Florida International University. She is well-versed in all areas of media and has been interested in it since she was young. She has worked on editing high school yearbooks and has a strong passion for writing, editing, photography, and social media. She creates her own content online and has enjoyed networking within FIU. She looks forward to taking leadership roles and loves working with other people. Her goal is to indulge in all aspects of the TV production industry, create her own productions, and expand her interests further.